Methods for identifying, diagnosing, and predicting survival of lymphomas

ABSTRACT

Gene expression data provides a basis for more accurate identification and diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders. In addition, gene expression data can be used to develop more accurate predictors of survival. The present invention discloses methods for identifying, diagnosing, and predicting survival in a lymphoma or lymphoproliferative disorder on the basis of gene expression patterns. The invention discloses a novel microarray, the Lymph Dx microarray, for obtaining gene expression data from a lymphoma sample. The invention also discloses a variety of methods for utilizing lymphoma gene expression data to determine the identity of a particular lymphoma and to predict survival in a subject diagnosed with a particular lymphoma. This information will be useful in developing the therapeutic approach to be used with a particular subject.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present utility application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/934,930 (Staudt et al.), filed Sep. 3, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,711,492, which claims priority to provisional patent application U.S. Ser. No. 60/500,377, filed Sep. 3, 2003, the disclosures of which are both incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, including but not limited to the electronic data submitted on 21 CD-ROMs accompanying the provisional application.

REFERENCE TO TABLES SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC IN THE PARENT APPLICATION

Tables 2-1723 and 1725-2358 are contained on 21 CD-ROMs provided with U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/934,930, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,711,492. These CD-ROMs are numbered 1-21 of 22. Each CD-ROM was provided in two copies, for a total of 44 CD-ROMs. The name, size, and date of creation for each file was presented in the file entitled “Table_of_contents.txt,” located on CD number 21 of 22. The name of each file incorporates the number of the corresponding table. Any reference to a table or file should be considered an incorporation by reference of the contents of the table and/or file at that particular place in the specification.

REFERENCE TO COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC IN THE PARENT APPLICATION

A computer program listing appendix is contained on one CD-ROM which was provided with U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/934,930, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,711,492. Three copies of this CD-ROM, numbered 22 of 22, were provided. The computer program listing appendix contains files related to the implementation of an algorithm for determining lymphoma type. The name, size, and date of creation for each file in the computer program listing appendix is presented in the file entitled “Table_of_contents.txt,” located on CD-ROM 22. Any reference to a file contained in the computer program listing appendix should be considered an incorporation by reference of the contents of that file at that particular place in the specification.

BACKGROUND

A variety of systems for identifying and classifying lymphomas have been proposed over the last 20 years. In the 1980's, the Working Formulation was introduced as a method of classifying lymphomas based on morphological and clinical characteristics. In the 1990's, the Revised European-American Lymphoma (REAL) system was introduced in an attempt to take into account immunophenotypic and genetic characteristics in classifying lymphomas (Harris 1994). The most recent standard, set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO), attempts to build on these previous systems (Jaffe 2001). The WHO classification of lymphomas is based on several factors, including tumor morphology, immunophenotype, recurrent genetic abnormalities, and clinical features. Table 1, below, contains a list of the B and T cell neoplasms that have been recognized by the WHO classification. Each malignancy is listed according to its WHO classification nomenclature, followed by a WHO classification number.

TABLE 1 WHO Category Name ID # B-cell neoplasms Precursor B-cell neoplasms Precursor B-cell lymphoblastic 9835/3 leukemia Precursor B-cell lymphoblastic 9728/3 lymphoma Mature B-cell neoplasms Chronic lymphocytic leukemia 9823/3 Small lymphocytic lymphoma 9670/3 B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia 9833/3 Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma 9671/3 Splenic marginal zone 9689/3 lymphoma Hairy cell leukemia 9940/3 Plasma cell myeloma 9732/3 Solitary plasmacytoma of bone 9731/3 Extraosseous plasmacytoma 9734/3 Extranodal marginal zone B-cell 9699/3 lymphoma of mucosa- associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) Nodal marginal zone B-cell 9699/3 lymphoma Follicular lymphoma (Grade 1, 9690/3 2, 3a, 3b) Mantle cell lymphoma 9673/3 Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma 9680/3 Mediastinal (thymic) large B-cell 9679/3 lymphoma Intravascular large B-cell 9680/3 lymphoma Primary effusion lymphoma 9678/3 Burkitt lymphoma 9687/3 Burkitt leukemia 9826/3 B-cell proliferations Lymphomatoid granulomatosis 9766/1 of uncertain malignant potential Post-transplant 9970/1 lymphoproliferative disorder, polymorphic T-cell and NK-cell neoplasms Precursor T-cell and Precursor T lymphoblastic 9837/3 NK-cell neoplasms leukemia Precursor T lymphoblastic 9729/3 lymphoma Blastic NK-cell lymphoma 9727/3 Mature T-cell and NK-cell T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia 9834/3 neoplasms T-cell large granular 9831/3 lymphocytic leukemia Aggressive NK-cell leukemia 9948/3 Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma 9827/3 Extranodal NK-/T-cell 9719/3 lymphoma, nasal type Enteropathy-type T-cell 9717/3 lymphoma Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma 9716/3 Subcutaneous panniculitis-like 9708/3 T-cell lymphoma Mycosis fungoides 9700/3 Sezary syndrome (9701/3) 9701/3 Primary cutaneous anaplastic 9718/3 large cell lymphoma (C-ALCL) Peripheral T-cell lymphoma, 9702/3 unspecified Angioimmunoblastic T-cell 9705/3 lymphoma Anaplastic large cell lymphoma 9714/3 T-cell proliferation Lymphomatoid papulosis 9718/3 of uncertain malignant potential Hodgkin lymphoma Nodular lymphocyte 9659/3 predominant Hodgkin lymphoma Classical Hodgkin lymphoma 9650/3 Classical Hodgkin lymphoma, 9663/3 nodular sclerosis Classical Hodgkin lymphoma, 9651/3 lymphocyte-rich Classical Hodgkin lymphoma, 9652/3 mixed cellularity Classical Hodgkin lymphoma, 9653/3 lymphocyte depleted Other diagnoses that have not been given WHO diagnostic numbers include HIV-associated lymphoma, germinal center B cell-like subtype of diffuse large B cell lymphoma, activated B cell-like subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular hyperplasia (non-malignant), and infectious mononucleosis (non-malignant).

Although the WHO classification has proven useful in patient management and treatment, patients assigned to the same WHO diagnostic category often have noticeably different clinical outcomes. In many cases, these different outcomes appear to be due to molecular differences between tumors that cannot be readily observed by analyzing tumor morphology. More precise methods are needed for identifying and classifying lymphomas based on their molecular characteristics.

SUMMARY

In certain embodiments, a composition is provided comprising the set of probes listed in Table 2, which is contained in the file entitled “Table_(—)0002_LymphDx_Probe_List.txt.” Preferably, this composition comprises a microarray.

In certain embodiments, a method is provided for generating a survival predictor for a particular lymphoma type. In this method, one or more biopsy samples that have been diagnosed as belonging to a particular lymphoma type are obtained. Gene expression data is obtained for these samples, and genes with expression patterns associated with longer or shorter survival are identified. Hierarchical clustering is performed to group these genes into gene expression signatures, and the expression of all genes within each signature are averaged to obtain a gene expression signature value for each signature. These gene expression signature values are then used to generate a multivariate survival predictor.

In certain embodiments, a method is provided for predicting survival in a follicular lymphoma (FL) subject. In this method, a biopsy sample is obtained from the subject and gene expression data is obtained from the biopsy sample. The expression level of those genes belonging to an immune response-1 or immune response-2 gene expression signature are averaged to generate gene expression signature values for each signature. A survival predictor score is then calculated using an equation: [2.71*(immune response-2 gene expression signature value)]−[2.36*(immune response-1 gene expression signature value)]. A higher survival predictor score is associated with a less favorable outcome. In one embodiment, the gene expression data used in this method is obtained using a microarray.

In certain embodiments, another method is provided for predicting survival in a follicular lymphoma (FL) subject. In this method, a biopsy sample is obtained from the subject and gene expression data is obtained from the biopsy sample. The expression level of those genes belonging to a B cell differentiation, T-cell, or macrophage gene expression signature are averaged to generate gene expression signature values for each signature. A survival predictor score is then calculated using an equation: [2.053*(macrophage gene expression signature value)]−[2.344*(T-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.729*(B-cell gene expression signature value)]. A higher survival predictor score is associated with a less favorable outcome. In one embodiment, the gene expression data used in this method is obtained using a microarray.

In certain embodiments, yet another method is provided for predicting survival in a follicular lymphoma (FL) subject. In this method, a biopsy sample is obtained from the subject and gene expression data is obtained from the biopsy sample. The expression level of those genes belonging to a macrophage, T-cell, or B-cell differentiation gene expression signature are averaged to generate gene expression signature values for each signature. A survival predictor score is then calculated using an equation: [1.51*(macrophage gene expression signature value)]−[2.11*(T-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.505*(B-cell differentiation gene expression signature value)]. A higher survival predictor score is associated with a less favorable outcome. In one embodiment, the gene expression data used in this method is obtained using a microarray.

In certain embodiments, a method is provided for predicting survival in a diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) subject. In this method, a biopsy sample is obtained from the subject and gene expression data is obtained from the biopsy sample. The expression level of those genes belonging to an ABC DLBCL high, lymph node, or MHC class II gene expression signature are averaged to generate gene expression signature values for each signature. A survival predictor score is then calculated using an equation: [0.586*(ABC DLBCL high gene expression signature value)]−[0.468*(lymph node gene expression signature value)]−[0.336*(MHC class II gene expression signature value)]. A higher survival predictor score is associated with a less favorable outcome. In one embodiment, the gene expression data used in this method is obtained using a microarray.

In certain embodiments, another method is provided for predicting survival in a diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) subject. In this method, a biopsy sample is obtained from the subject and gene expression data is obtained from the biopsy sample. The expression level of those genes belonging to a lymph node, germinal B cell, proliferation, or MHC class II gene expression signature are averaged to generate gene expression signature values for each signature. A survival predictor score is then calculated using an equation: [−0.4337*(lymph node gene expression signature)]+[0.09*(proliferation gene expression signature)]−[0.4144*(germinal center B-cell gene expression signature)]−[0.2006*(MHC class II gene expression signature)]. A higher survival predictor score is associated with a less favorable outcome. In one embodiment, the gene expression data used in this method is obtained using a microarray.

In certain embodiments, yet another method is provided for predicting survival in a diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) subject. In this method, a biopsy sample is obtained from the subject and gene expression data is obtained from the biopsy sample. The expression level of those genes belonging to a lymph node, germinal B cell, or MHC class II gene expression signature are averaged to generate gene expression signature values for each signature. A survival predictor score is then calculated using an equation: [−0.32*(lymph node gene expression signature)]−[0.176*(germinal B cell gene expression signature)]−[0.206*(MHC class II gene expression signature)]. A higher survival predictor score is associated with a less favorable outcome. In one embodiment, the gene expression data used in this method is obtained using a microarray. In another embodiment, the gene expression data is obtained using RT-PCR.

In certain embodiments, a method is provided for refining a method for predicting survival in a diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). In this method, gains or amplifications of the 3p11-p12 region in chromosome 3 are identified, wherein gains or amplifications of this region are associated with a less favorable outcome. This information can be integrated into an existing method for predicting DLBCL survival. For example, a survival predictor score may be calculated using an equation such as: Survival predictor score=[0.241*(proliferation gene expression signature value)]+[0.310*(BMP6 expression value)]−[0.290*(germinal center B cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.311*(MHC class II gene expression signature value)]−[0.249*(lymph node gene expression signature value)], wherein a higher survival predictor score is associated with a less favorable outcome. The DLBCL sample may then be assayed for gains or amplifications in the 3p11-p12 using any available method, including for example CGH. The identification of gains or amplifications in this region indicate a decrease in survival. This information can be used to adjust the survival predictor score accordingly. Alternatively, Identification of a gain or amplification of 3p11-p12 may be used as a stand-alone indicator of less favorable outcome for a DLBCL patient in the absence of additional gene expression data.

In certain embodiments, a method is provided for predicting survival in a mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) subject. In this method, a biopsy sample is obtained from the subject and gene expression data is obtained from the biopsy sample. The expression level of those genes belonging to a proliferation gene expression signature are averaged to generate a gene expression signature value. A survival predictor score is then calculated using an equation: [1.66*(proliferation gene expression signature value)]. A higher survival predictor score is associated with a less favorable outcome. In one embodiment, the gene expression data used in this method is obtained using a microarray.

In certain embodiments, a method is provided for determining the probability that a sample X belongs to a first lymphoma type or a second lymphoma type. In this method, a set of genes is identified that is differentially expressed between the two lymphoma types in question, and a set of scale factors representing the difference in expression between the lymphoma types for each of these genes are calculated. A series of linear predictor scores are generated for samples belonging to either of the two lymphoma types based on expression of these genes. Gene expression data is then obtained for sample X, and a linear predictor score is calculated for this sample. The probability that sample X belongs to the first lymphoma type is calculated using an equation that incorporates the linear predictor score of sample X and the mean and variance of the linear predictor scores for the known samples of either lymphoma type.

In certain embodiments, a method is provided for determining the lymphoma type of a sample X In this method, a set of genes is identified that is differentially expressed between a first lymphoma type and a second lymphoma type, and a set of scale factors representing the difference in expression of each of these genes between the two lymphoma types are calculated. A series of linear predictor scores are generated for samples belonging to either of the two lymphoma types based on expression of these genes. Gene expression data is then obtained for sample X, and a linear predictor score is calculated for this sample. The probability that sample X belongs to the first lymphoma type is calculated using an equation that incorporates the linear predictor score of sample X and the mean and variance of the linear predictor scores for the known samples of either lymphoma type. This entire process is then repeated with various lymphoma types being substituted for the first lymphoma type, the second lymphoma type, or both.

In certain embodiments, a method is provided for determining the lymphoma type of a sample X In this method, a series of lymphoma type pairs are created, with each pair consisting of a first lymphoma type and a second lymphoma type. For each type pair, gene expression data is obtained for a set of genes, and a series of scale factors representing the difference in expression of each of these genes between the two lymphoma types are calculated. A subset of z genes with the largest scale factors are identified, and a series of linear predictor scores are generated for samples belonging to either of the two lymphoma types. Linear predictor scores are calculated for anywhere from 1 to z of these genes. The number of genes from 1 to z that results in the largest difference in linear predictor scores between the two lymphoma types is selected, and gene expression data for these genes is obtained for sample X A linear predictor score is generated for sample X, and the probability that the sample belongs to the first lymphoma type is calculated using an equation that incorporates the linear predictor score for sample X and the mean and variance of the linear predictor scores for the known samples of either lymphoma type.

In certain embodiments, another method is provided for determining the lymphoma type of a sample X. In this method, a series of lymphoma type pairs are created, with each pair consisting of a first lymphoma type and a second lymphoma type. For each type pair, gene expression data is obtained for a set of genes, and a series of scale factors representing the difference in expression of each of these genes between the two lymphoma types are calculated. The set of genes is divided into gene-list categories indicating correlation with a gene expression signature. Within each gene-list category, a subset of z genes with the largest scale factors are identified, and a series of linear predictor scores are generated for samples belonging to either of the two lymphoma types. Linear predictor scores are calculated for anywhere from 1 to z of these genes. The number of genes from 1 to z that results in the largest difference in linear predictor scores between the two lymphoma types is selected, and gene expression data for these genes is obtained for sample X A linear predictor score is generated for sample X, and the probability q that the sample belongs to the first lymphoma type is calculated using an equation that incorporates the linear predictor score for sample X and the mean and variance of the linear predictor scores for the known samples of either lymphoma type. A high probability q indicates that sample X belongs to the first lymphoma type, a low probability q indicates that sample X belongs to the second lymphoma type, and a middle probability q indicates that sample X belongs to neither lymphoma type. The cut-off point between high, middle, and low probability values is determined by ranking samples of known lymphoma type according to their probability values, then analyzing every possible cut-off point between adjacent samples by: 3.99*[(% of first lymphoma type misidentified as second lymphoma type)+(% of second lymphoma type misidentified as a first lymphoma type)]+[(% of first lymphoma type identified as belonging to neither lymphoma type)+(% of second lymphoma type identified as belonging to neither lymphoma type)]. The final cut-off points are those that minimize the value of this equation.

In certain embodiments, a method is provided for classifying a sample as BL. In this method, a series of lymphoma type pairs are created, with each pair consisting of a first lymphoma type (BL) and a second lymphoma type. In certain embodiments, the second lymphoma type is DLBCL, and in certain of these embodiments, the DLBCL is ABC, GCB, or PMBL. For each type pair, gene expression data is obtained for a set of genes, and a series of scale factors representing the difference in expression of each of these genes between the two lymphoma types are calculated. The set of genes is divided into two subsets. The first subset includes c-myc and c-myc target genes, while the second subset includes z genes from the gene set that exhibit the largest scale factors and do not fall into the first subset. In certain embodiments, z is 100. A first and second series of linear predictor scores are generated for samples belonging to either of the two lymphoma types, with the first series based on expression of the first gene subset and the second series based on expression of the second gene subset. Expression of the first and second gene subsets is measured for sample X, and a first and second linear predictor score is generated for sample X based on the expression of the first and second gene subsets, respectively. Two probabilities, q₁ and q₂, are calculated using equations that incorporate the first and second linear predictor scores for sample X, respectively, and the mean and variance of the linear predictor scores for the known samples of either lymphoma type. Sample X is classified as BL if both q₁ and q₂ are greater than 90%.

In certain embodiments, a method is provided for identifying a lymphoma sample as cyclin D1-negative MCL. In this method, a candidate sample X is identified based on a lack of cyclin D1 expression. A series of lymphoma type pairs are created, with each pair consisting of MCL and a second lymphoma type. For each type pair, gene expression data is obtained for a set of genes G, and a series of scale factors representing the difference in expression of each of these genes between the two lymphoma types are calculated. A subset of genes g with the largest scale factors are identified, and a series of linear predictor scores are generated for samples belonging to either of the two lymphoma types. Gene expression data for the subset of genes g is obtained for sample X A linear predictor score is generated for sample X, and the probability that the sample belongs to the first lymphoma type is calculated using an equation that incorporates the linear predictor score for sample X and the mean and variance of the linear predictor scores for the known samples of either lymphoma type. A probability greater than 90% indicates that the sample X is cyclin D1-negative MCL.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1: Method for identifying lymphoma type. Flow chart depicts a general method for identifying lymphoma type using gene expression data.

FIG. 2: Survival signature analysis. Flow chart depicts method for developing a lymphoma survival predictor based on gene expression patterns.

FIG. 3: FL survival data. Survival data for 191 subjects diagnosed with FL. Median age at diagnosis was 51 years (ranging from 23 to 81 years), and the subjects had a median follow-up of 6.6 years (8.1 years for survivors, with a range of <1 to 28.2 years).

FIG. 4: Hierarchical clustering of survival associated genes in FL samples. Each column represents a single FL sample, while each row represents a single gene. Relative gene expression is depicted according to the scale at the bottom of the figure. The dendrogram to the left indicates the degree to which the expression pattern of each gene is correlated with that of the other genes. The bars indicate sets of coordinately regulated genes defined as gene expression signatures. Genes comprising the immune response-1 and immune response-2 gene expression signature are listed on the right.

FIG. 5: Kaplan-Meier plot of survival in FL samples based on survival predictor scores. 191 FL samples were divided into quartiles based on their survival predictor scores. The survival predictor scores were calculated by: [(2.71*immune response-2 gene expression signature value)]−[(2.36×immune response-1 gene expression signature value)].

FIG. 6: Kaplan-Meier plot of survival in FL samples based on IPI score. 96 FL samples were divided into three groups based on their IPI scores.

FIG. 7: Kaplan-Meier plot of survival in FL samples with low or high risk IPI scores based on survival predictor scores. 96 FL samples with low risk (left panel) or intermediate risk (right panel) IPI scores were divided into quartiles based on their survival predictor scores. The survival predictor scores were calculated by: [(2.71*immune response-2 gene expression signature value)]−[(2.36×immune response-1 gene expression signature value)].

FIG. 8: Kaplan-Meier plot of survival in FL samples based on survival predictor scores. 191 FL samples were divided into quartiles based on their survival predictor scores. The survival predictor scores were calculated by: [2.053*(macrophage gene expression signature value)]−[2.344*(T-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.729*(B-cell differentiation gene expression signature value)].

FIG. 9: Kaplan-Meier plot of survival in FL samples based on survival predictor scores. 191 FL samples were divided into quartiles based on their survival predictor scores. The survival predictor scores were calculated by: [1.51*(macrophage gene expression signature value)]−[2.11*(T-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.505*(B-cell differentiation gene expression signature value)].

FIG. 10: Kaplan-Meier plot of survival in DLBCL samples based on survival predictor scores. 231 DLBCL samples were divided into quartiles based on their survival predictor scores. The survival predictor scores were calculated by: [0.586*(ABC DLBCL high gene expression signature value)]−[0.468*(lymph node gene expression signature value)]−[(0.336*MHC Class II gene expression signature value)].

FIG. 11: Kaplan-Meier plot of survival in DLBCL samples based on survival predictor scores. 200 DLBCL samples were divided into quartiles based on their survival predictor scores. The survival predictor scores were calculated by: [−0.4337*(lymph node gene expression signature value)]+[0.09*(proliferation gene expression signature value)]−[0.4144*(germinal center B-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.2006*(MHC class II gene expression signature value)].

FIG. 12: Kaplan-Meier plot of survival in DLBCL samples based on survival predictor scores. 200 DLBCL samples were divided into quartiles based on their survival predictor scores. The survival predictor scores were calculated by: [−0.32*(lymph node gene expression signature value)]−[0.176*(germinal center B-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.206*(MHC class II gene expression signature value)].

FIG. 13: Kaplan-Meier plot of survival in MCL samples based on survival predictor scores. 21 MCL samples were divided into two equivalent groups based on their survival predictor scores. The survival predictor scores were calculated by: 1.66*(proliferation gene expression signature value).

FIG. 14: Kaplan-Meier plot of survival in MCL samples based on survival predictor scores. 21 MCL samples were divided into two equivalent groups based on their survival predictor scores. The survival predictor scores were calculated by: 1.66*(proliferation gene expression signature value).

FIG. 15: Predicting lymphoma type using Bayesian analysis. Bayes' rule can be used to determine the probability that an unknown sample belongs to a first lymphoma type rather than a second lymphoma type. A linear predictor score is generated for the sample, and the probability that the sample belongs to the first lymphoma type is determined based on the distribution of linear predictor scores within the first and second lymphoma type.

FIG. 16: Performance of MCL predictor model. Results of the gene-expression based predictor model for MCL are shown for three models (MCL vs. ABC, MCL vs. GCB, MCL vs. SLL). Performance is shown for both the training set and the validation set.

FIG. 17: Gene expression-based identification of DLBCL. Expression levels for 27 genes in a subgroup predictor are shown for 274 DLBCL samples. Expression levels are depicted according to the scale shown at the left. The 14 genes used to predict the DLBCL subgroups in the Affymetrix data set are indicated with asterisks. The probabilities that the DLBCL samples belong to the ABC or GCB subtypes are graphed at the top, and the DLBCL cases are arranged accordingly. Cases belonging to either ABC or GCB with 90% or greater probability are indicated.

FIG. 18: Performance of DLBCL subtype predictor model. Assignments of DLBCL samples to the ABC or GCB subtypes based on hierarchical clustering vs. the predictor model disclosed herein are compared within the training, validation, and total set of samples.

FIG. 19: Relationship of gene expression in normal B cell subpopulations to DLBCL subtypes. Relative gene expression in the indicated purified B cell populations is depicted according to the color scale in FIG. 17. The P value of the difference in expression of these genes between the GCB and ABC DLBCL subtypes is shown, and the subtype with the higher expression is shown is indicated (blue, ABC; orange, GCB). A. DLBCL subtype distinction genes that are more highly expressed in germinal center B cells than at other B cell differentiation stages. B. DLBCL subtype distinction genes that are more highly expressed in plasma cells than at other B cell differentiation stages.

FIG. 20: Identification of a PMBL gene expression signature. A. Hierarchical clustering identified a set of 23 PMBL signature genes that were more highly expressed in most lymphomas with a clinical diagnosis of PMBL than in lymphomas assigned to the GCB or ABC subtypes. Each row presents gene expression measurements from a single Lymphochip microarray feature representing the genes indicated. Each column represents a single lymphoma biopsy sample. Relative gene expression is depicted according to the scale shown. B. Hierarchical clustering of the lymphoma biopsy samples based on expression of the PMBL signature genes identified in (A). A “core” cluster of lymphoma cases was identified that highly expressed the PMBL signature genes.

FIG. 21: Development of a gene expression-based molecular diagnosis of PMBL. A. A PMBL predictor was created based on expression of the 46 genes shown. Relative gene expression for each lymphoma biopsy sample is presented according to the scale shown in FIG. 20. The probability that each sample is PMBL or DLBCL based on gene expression is shown at the top. B. The PMBL predictor was used to classify 274 lymphoma samples as PMBL or DLBCL. Prediction results are summarized on the right, and the relative gene expression for each case that was classified by the predictor as PMBL is shown on the left. Average expression of each gene in samples classified as DLBCL is also shown. The 20 genes listed are those represented on the Lymphochip that were more highly expressed in PMBL than in DLBCL. Not shown are eight genes from the PMBL predictor that were more highly expressed in DLBCL than in PMBL.

FIG. 22: Clinical characteristics of PMBL patients. Kaplan-Meier plot of overall survival in PMBL, GCB, and ABC patients after chemotherapy.

FIG. 23: Optimization of gene number in lymphoma predictor. The optimal number of genes for inclusion in the lymphoma type predictor model is that number which generates a maximum t-statistic when comparing the LPS of two samples from different lymphoma types.

FIG. 24: LPS distribution among FL and DLBCL/BL samples. Standard and proliferation LPSs for FL (x) and DLBCL/BL (+) samples. Dotted lines indicate standard deviations from the fitted multivariate normal distributions.

FIG. 25: Determination of cut-off points for lymphoma classification. The cut-off points between samples classified as DLBCL/BL, FL, or unclassified were optimized to minimize the number of samples classified as the wrong lymphoma type. The optimal lower cut-off point was at q=0.49, while the optimal upper cut-off point was at q=0.84.

FIG. 26: Division of LPSs among FL and DLBCL/FL samples. Illustration of how the cut-off points described in FIG. 25 divided the space between the LPSs of FL (x) and DLBCL/BL (+) samples.

FIG. 27: Lymphoma classification results. Results of lymphoma classification based on gene expression. 100% of SLL, MCL, and FH samples were classified correctly, and only 3% of DLBCL/BL and FL samples were classified incorrectly.

FIG. 28: DLBCL subtype classification based on gene expression. None of the ABC samples were classified as the wrong subtype, while only one of the BL samples was classified incorrectly. Of the GCB and PMBL samples, only 5% and 6%, respectively, were classified incorrectly.

FIG. 29: Summary of chromosomal imbalances in DLBCL samples. Chromosomal alterations in 224 untreated DLBCL samples were classified by gene expression profiling. Each bar represents a chromosomal region gained or lost in a single sample. Bars on left side of ideogram represent losses of chromosomal material. Bars on the right side of the ideogram represent gains of chromosomal material. Thick bars on the right represent chromosomal gains exceeding the cut-off value of 1.5 in a large chromosomal region, and solid dots represent high-level DNA amplifications. A. Chromosomal alterations in GCB samples (n=87). B. Chromosomal alterations in ABC samples (n=77). C. Chromosomal alterations in PMBL samples (n=19). D. Diagram indicating frequencies of chromosomal imbalances that distinguish between ABC, GCB, and PMBL. All differences were statistically significant at p<0.05, with the exception of 12q12 gains (P=0.059).

FIG. 30: Influence of chromosomal gains and amplifications on locus-specific gene expression levels. Changes in gene expression levels are depicted for each gene (averaged in each cohort) with regard to locus-specific genetic status (wild-type vs. gain vs. amplification). Genes are ordered according to their chromosomal position. Gene locus information was obtained from the web site for Genes On Sequence Map (Homo sapiens built 33). For genes represented by more than one element on the Lymphochip, the average expression of different clones was calculated. The black bar on the left indicates the minimally gained region in all cases. Expression level comparisons were performed using the ANOVA test. Genes with significant differences (P<0.01) are indicated.

FIG. 31: Effect of chromosomal imbalances on gene expression signatures. In each of the 4 panels, DLBCL cases are ordered according to their average expression of the following gene expression signatures: lymph node, proliferation, T cell, and MHC class II. Samples with the chromosomal abnormalities shown on the right are marked. Correlations with a P-value <0.05 are shown. If more than one cytoband in one chromosomal arm showed a P-value <0.05, the cytoband with the lowest p-value is displayed.

FIG. 32: Impact of genomic gains of 3p11-p12 on survival of DLBCL patients. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates of DLBCL patients with genomic gains of 3p11-p12 in comparison to their stratification into survival quartiles based on the gene expression based outcome predictor model alone 3 (Q=Quartile) (P=0.029).

FIG. 32: Kaplan-Meier plot of survival in DLBCL samples based on survival predictor scores. The survival predictor was calculated by: [0.241*(proliferation gene expression signature value)]+[0.310*(BMP6)]−[0.290*(germinal center B cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.311*(MHC class II gene expression signature value)]−[0.249*(lymph node gene expression signature value)], with chromosome 3 gains involving the 3p11-p12 region considered as an independent prognostic indicator.

FIG. 33: Gene expression profiles of MCL signature genes in cyclin D1-negative MCL cases. Expression profiles for six cyclin D1-negative MCL cases were compared to those of ABC, GCB, PMBL, FL, MALT, SMZL, SLL, and MCL. Median expression levels of the MCL signature genes are shown. For the cyclin-D1 MCL cases, each column represents a single lymphoma specimen and each row represents the level of expression of a single gene in the MCL signature. Increased and decreased expression relative to the median expression level according to the scale are shown over a four-fold range. The lower panel shows expression levels of the D-type cyclins according to the scale over a sixteen-fold range.

FIG. 34: Cytologic features and expression of D-type cyclins in cyclin D1-negative MCL. A. Typical MCL cytology (case 1) (hematoxylin and eosin stain, original magnification ×500). B. Cyclin D1 protein, showing only a rare non-tumor cell with nuclear staining (case 1). C. Cyclin D2 protein, showing strong nuclear staining of the tumor cells (case 2). D. Cyclin D3 protein, showing strong nuclear staining of the tumor cells (case 4) (immunoperoxidase stains, original magnification ×400).

FIG. 35: Molecular predictor of BL. A. Distinction between BL and DLBCL using gene expression. Each row represents the expression level of a gene and each column represents a lymphoma sample. Relative gene expression levels are depicted according to the scale shown. Stage one utilized c-myc and its target genes. Stage two utilized 100 additional genes that distinguish BL from ABC, GCB, or PMBL. The panel includes only those cases for which the pathology-based diagnosis and the gene expression-based diagnosis agreed. B. Creation of an unbiased list of c-myc target genes using RNA-interference experiments. The OCI-Ly10 DLBCL cell line was transfected by electroporation with small interfering RNAs targeting the c-myc gene, and gene expression was compared to that of control-transfected cells by DNA microarray at the indicated times post-transfection. Downregulation of c-myc and its targets is depicted according to the scale shown. C. Performance of the gene expression-based predictor according to leave-one-out cross-validation analysis. Samples submitted as BL or Burkitt-like lymphoma were classified upon pathology review as classic and atypical BL. Samples submitted as. DLBCL were further classified by gene expression as ABC, GCB, PMBL, or unclassified. D. Classification of samples submitted as BL or Burkitt-like lymphoma that were reclassified as either DLBCL or high grade lymphoma not otherwise specified. Also shown are samples submitted and verified as high grade DLBCL. Those cases for which the pathology-based diagnosis and the gene expression-based diagnosis disagreed (BL-discrepant cases) are marked with an asterisk.

FIG. 36: Performance of a molecular predictor of BL. A. Gene expression in the nine BL-discrepant cases for which the pathology-based diagnosis and the gene expression-based diagnosis were not in agreement. Expression of the BL-predictor genes in these samples is compared to the average expression of these genes in BL and DLBCL. For each sample, immunophenotype, BCL2 mRNA and protein expression, and t(14;18) FISH results are depicted at the bottom of the panel. Also shown is the probability that each sample is BL based on gene expression. B. Expression of the BL-predictor genes in the six DLBCL samples known to harbor a translocation involving the c-myc gene. Expression of these genes in the samples is compared to the average expression in BL and DLBCL. The probability that each sample is BL based on gene expression is shown.

FIG. 37: Relative expression of gene expression signatures among lymphoma subtypes. A. Average relative expression of c-myc and its target genes for BL and each molecular subtype of DLBCL (ABC, GCB, and PMBL). All expression data are shown over a 4-fold range. The scale is identical to that in FIG. 36. B. Expression of genes related to normal GC B cell differentiation among the lymphoma subtypes. “BL-high” genes are expressed at 2-fold or higher levels in BL compared to GCB (P<0.001). “BL-low” genes are expressed at 2-fold or higher levels in GCB compared to BL (P<0.001). The “BL-GCB” genes are not differentially expressed between BL and GCB. C. Relative expression among lymphoma types of genes that encode MHC class-I proteins. D. Relative expression among the lymphoma types of genes that are targets of the NF-KB signaling pathway. E. Average expression of each of the four gene expression signatures among the lymphoma samples according to their classification by the BL-predictor.

FIG. 38: Survival analysis in BL and DLBCL. A. Kaplan-Meier plot of overall survival for all patients with a gene expression-based diagnosis of BL, subdivided by treatment received. B. Kaplan-Meier plot of overall survival for adults with a gene expression-based diagnosis of BL, subdivided by treatment received. C. Kaplan-Meier plot of overall survival for all BL-discrepant patients, subdivided by treatment received. D. Kaplan-Meier plot of overall survival for all patients assigned to the three molecular subgroups of DLBCL.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely intended to illustrate various embodiments of the invention. As such, the specific modifications discussed are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various equivalents, changes, and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and it us understood that such embodiments are to be included herein.

Abbreviations

The following abbreviations are used herein: ABC, activated B-cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma; ASCT, autologous stem cell transplant; AWD, alive with disease; BL, Burkitt lymphoma; BM, bone marrow; CGH, comparative genome hybridization; CHOP, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicine, vincristine, and prednisone; CI, confidence interval; CNS, central nervous system; COP, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone; C_(T), cycle threshold; DLBCL, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; DOD, dead of disease; ECOG, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; EST, expressed sequence tag; FACS, fluorescence-activated cell sorting; FH, follicular hyperplasia; FISH, fluorescence in situ hybridization; FL, follicular lymphoma; GC, germinal center; GCB, germinal center B-cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma; GI, gastrointestinal; IPI, International Prognostic Index; LPC, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma; LPS, linear predictor score; MALT, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas; MCL, mantle cell lymphoma; MHC, major histocompatibility complex; NA, not available or not applicable; NK, natural killer; NMZ, nodal marginal zone lymphoma; PB, peripheral blood; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PMBL, primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma; PR, partial response; PTLD, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder; REAL, Revised European-American Lymphoma; RPA, RNase protection assay; RQ-PCR, real-time quantitative PCR; RR, relative risk of death; RT-PCR, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; SAGE, serial analysis of gene expression; SLL, small lymphocytic lymphoma; SMZL, splenic marginal zone lymphoma; WHO, World Health Organization.

Definitions

The term “lymphoproliferative disorder” as used herein refers to any tumor of lymphocytes, and may refer to both malignant and benign tumors. The terms “lymphoma” and “lymphoid malignancy” as used herein refer specifically to malignant tumors derived from lymphocytes and lymphoblasts. Examples of lymphomas include, but are not limited to, follicular lymphoma (FL), Burkitt lymphoma (BL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), follicular hyperplasia (FH), small cell lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALT), splenic lymphoma, multiple myeloma, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), lymphoblastic lymphoma, nodal marginal zone lymphoma (NMZ), germinal center B cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (GCB), activated B cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (ABC) and primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma (PMBL).

The phrase “lymphoma type” (or simply “type”) as used herein refers to a diagnostic classification of a lymphoma. The phrase may refer to a broad lymphoma class (e.g., DLBCL, FL, MCL, etc.) or to a subtype or subgroup falling within a broad lymphoma class (e.g., GCB DLBCL, ABC DLBCL).

The phrase “gene expression data” as used herein refers to information regarding the relative or absolute level of expression of a gene or set of genes in a cell or group of cells. The level of expression of a gene may be determined based on the level of RNA, such as mRNA, encoded by the gene. Alternatively, the level of expression may be determined based on the level of a polypeptide or fragment thereof encoded by the gene. “Gene expression data” may be acquired for an individual cell, or for a group of cells such as a tumor or biopsy sample.

The term “microarray,” “array,” or “chip” refers to a plurality of nucleic acid probes coupled to the surface of a substrate in different known locations. The substrate is preferably solid. Microarrays have been generally described in the art in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,854 (Pirrung), U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,186 (Fodor), U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,934 (Fodor), U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,195 (Winkler), U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,305 (Fodor), U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,992 (Fodor), U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,193 (Winkler), and Fodor et al. 1991. Light-directed, spatially addressable parallel chemical synthesis. Science, 251:767-777. Each of these references is incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

The term “gene expression signature” or “signature” as used herein refers to a group of coordinately expressed genes. The genes making up this signature may be expressed in a specific cell lineage, stage of differentiation, or during a particular biological response. The genes can reflect biological aspects of the tumors in which they are expressed, such as the cell of origin of the cancer, the nature of the non-malignant cells in the biopsy, and the oncogenic mechanisms responsible for the cancer (Shaffer 2001). Examples of gene expression signatures include lymph node (Shaffer 2001), proliferation (Rosenwald 2002), MHC class II, ABC DLBCL high, B-cell differentiation, T-cell, macrophage, immune response-1, immune response-2, and germinal center B cell.

The phrase “survival predictor score” as used herein refers to a score generated by a multivariate model used to predict survival based on gene expression. A subject with a higher survival predictor score is predicted to have poorer survival than a subject with a lower survival predictor score.

The term “survival” as used herein may refer to the probability or likelihood of a subject surviving for a particular period of time. Alternatively, it may refer to the likely term of survival for a subject, such as expected mean or median survival time for a subject with a particular gene expression pattern.

The phrase “linear predictor score” or “LPS” as used herein refers to a score that denotes the probability that a sample belongs to a particular lymphoma type. An LPS may be calculated using an equation such as:

${{{LPS}(S)} = {\sum\limits_{j \in G}{t_{j}S_{j}}}},$ where S_(j) is the expression of gene j from gene set G in a sample S, and t_(j) is a scale factor representing the difference in expression of gene j between a first lymphoma type and a second lymphoma type. Alternatively, a linear predictor score may be generated by other methods including but not limited to linear discriminant analysis (Dudoit 2002), support vector machines (Furey 2000), or shrunken centroids (Tibshirani 2002)

The phrase “scale factor” as used herein refers to a factor that defines the relative difference in expression of a particular gene between two samples. An example of a scale factor is a t-score generated by a Student's t-test.

The phrase “lymphoma subject,” wherein “lymphoma” is a specific lymphoma type (e.g., “follicular lymphoma subject”), may refer to a subject that has been diagnosed with a particular lymphoma by any method known in the art or discussed herein. This phrase may also refer to a subject with a known or suspected predisposition or risk of developing a particular lymphoma type.

The gene expression profile of a cancer cell or biopsy sample at a specific timepoint may provide the basis for better classification of cancer subtypes, more accurate prediction of cancer survival, and more specifically tailored therapies. Disclosed herein are a variety of methods for identifying, diagnosing, and/or classifying a lymphoma, lymphoid malignancy, or lymphoproliferative disorder based on its gene expression patterns. Also disclosed are methods for predicting survival in a subject diagnosed with a particular lymphoma type or subtype using gene expression data. The information obtained using these methods will be useful in evaluating the optimal therapeutic approach to be employed for a particular subject suffering from cancer.

The pattern of expression of a particular gene is closely connected to the biological role and effect of its gene product. For this reason, the systematic study of variations in gene expression provides an alternative approach for linking specific genes with specific diseases and for recognizing heritable gene variations that are important for immune function. For example, allelic differences in the regulatory region of a gene may influence the expression levels of that gene. An appreciation for such quantitative traits in the immune system may help elucidate the genetics of autoimmune diseases and lymphoproliferative disorders.

Genes that encode components of the same multi-subunit protein complex are often coordinately regulated. Coordinate regulation is also observed among genes whose products function in a common differentiation program or in the same physiological response pathway. Recent application of gene expression profiling to the immune system has shown that lymphocyte differentiation and activation are accompanied by parallel changes in expression among hundreds of genes. Gene expression databases may be used to interpret the pathological changes in gene expression that accompany autoimmunity, immune deficiencies, cancers of immune cells and of normal immune responses.

Scanning and interpreting large bodies of relative gene expression data is a formidable task. This task is greatly facilitated by algorithms designed to organize the data in a way that highlights systematic features, and by visualization tools that represent the differential expression of each gene as varying intensities and hues of color (Eisen 1998). The development of microarrays, which are capable of generating massive amounts of expression data in a single experiment, has greatly increased the need for faster and more efficient methods of analyzing large-scale expression data sets. In order to effectively utilize microarray gene expression data for the identification and diagnosis of lymphoma and for the prediction of survival in lymphoma patients, new algorithms must be developed to identify important information and convert it to a more manageable format. In addition, the microarrays used to generate this data should be streamlined to incorporate probe sets that are useful for diagnosis and survival prediction. Disclosed herein are various methods and compositions that address both of these issues.

Mathematical analysis of gene expression data is a rapidly evolving science based on a rich mathematics of pattern recognition developed in other contexts (Kohonen 1997). Mathematical analysis of gene expression generally has three goals. First, it may be used to identify groups of genes that are coordinately regulated within a biological system. Second, it may be used to recognize and interpret similarities between biological samples on the basis of similarities in gene expression patterns. Third, it may be used to recognize and identify those features of a gene expression pattern that are related to distinct biological processes or phenotypes.

Mathematical analysis of gene expression data often begins by establishing the expression pattern for each gene on an array across n experimental samples. The expression pattern of each gene can be represented by a point in n-dimensional space, with each coordinate specified by an expression measurement in one of the n samples (Eisen 1998). A clustering algorithm that uses distance metrics can then be applied to locate clusters of genes in this n-dimensional space. These clusters indicate genes with similar patterns of variation in expression over a series of experiments. Clustering methods that have been applied to microarray data in the past include hierarchical clustering (Eisen 1998), self-organizing maps (SOMs) (Tamayo 1999), k-means (Tavazoie 1999), and deterministic annealing (Alon 1999). A variety of different algorithms, each emphasizing distinct orderly features of the data, may be required to glean the maximal biological insight from a set of samples (Alizadeh 1998). One such algorithm, hierarchical clustering, begins by determining the gene expression correlation coefficients for each pair of the n genes studied. Genes with similar gene expression correlation coefficients are grouped next to one another in a hierarchical fashion. Generally, genes with similar expression patterns under a particular set of conditions encode protein products that play related roles in the physiological adaptation to those conditions. Novel genes of unknown function that are clustered with a large group of functionally related genes are likely to participate in the same biological process. Likewise, the other clustering methods mentioned herein may also group genes together that encode proteins with related biological function.

Gene expression maps may be constructed by organizing gene expression data from multiple samples using any of the various clustering algorithms outlined herein. The ordered tables of data may then be displayed graphically in a way that allows researchers and clinicians to assimilate both the choreography of gene expression on a broad scale and the fine distinctions in expression of individual genes.

In such a gene expression map, genes that are clustered together reflect a particular biological function, and are termed gene expression signatures (Shaffer 2001). One general type of gene expression signature includes genes that are characteristically expressed in a particular cell type or at a particular stage of cellular differentiation or activation. Another general type of gene expression signature includes genes that are regulated in their expression by a particular biological process such as proliferation, or by the activity of a particular transcription factor or signaling pathway.

The pattern of gene expression in a biological sample provides a distinctive and accessible molecular picture of its functional state and identity (DeRisi 1997; Cho 1998; Chu 1998; Holstege 1998; Spellman 1998). Each cell transduces variations in its environment, internal state, and developmental state into readily measured and recognizable variations in its gene expression patterns. Two different samples that have related gene expression patterns are therefore likely to be biologically and functionally similar to one another. Some biological processes are reflected by the expression of genes in a specific gene expression signature, as described above. The expression of a specific gene expression signature in a sample can provide important biological insights into its cellular composition and the function of various intracellular pathways within those cells.

The present invention discloses a variety of gene expression signatures related to the clinical outcome of lymphoma patients. While several of these signatures share a name with a previously disclosed signature, each of the gene expression signatures disclosed herein comprises a novel combination of genes. For example, the lymph node signature disclosed herein includes genes encoding extracellular matrix components and genes that are characteristically expressed in macrophage, NK, and T cells (e.g., α-Actinin, collagen type III α 1, connective tissue growth factor, fibronectin, KIAA0233, urokinase plasminogen activator). The proliferation signature includes genes that are characteristically expressed by cells that are rapidly multiplying or proliferating (e.g., c-myc, E21G3, NPM3, BMP6). The MHC class II signature includes genes that interact with lymphocytes in order to allow the recognition of foreign antigens (e.g., HLA-DPα, HLA-DQα, HLA-DRα, HLA-DRβ). The immune response-1 signature includes genes encoding T cell markers (e.g., CD7, CD8B1, ITK, LEF1, STAT4), as well as genes that are highly expressed in macrophages (e.g., ACTN1, TNFSF13B). The immune response-2 signature includes genes known to be preferentially expressed in macrophages and/or dendritic cells (e.g., TLR5, FCGR1A, SEPT10, LGMN, C3AR1). The germinal center B cell signature includes genes known to be overexpressed at this stage of B cell differentiation (e.g., MME, MEF2C, BCL6, LMO2, PRSPAP2, MBD4, EBF, MYBL1).

Databases of gene expression signatures have proven quite useful in elucidating the complex gene expression patterns of various cancers. For example, expression of genes from the germinal center B-cell signature in a lymphoma biopsy suggests that the lymphoma is derived from this stage of B cell differentiation. In the same lymphoma biopsy, the expression of genes from the T cell signature can be used to estimate the degree of infiltration of the tumor by host T cells, while the expression of genes from the proliferation signature can be used to quantitate the tumor cell proliferation rate. In this manner, gene expression signatures provide an “executive summary” of the biological properties of a tumor specimen. Gene expression signatures can also be helpful in interpreting the results of a supervised analysis of gene expression data. Supervised analysis generates a long list of genes with expression patterns that are correlated with survival. Gene expression signatures can be useful in assigning these “predictive” genes to functional categories. In building a multivariate model of survival based on gene expression data, this functional categorization helps to limit the inclusion of multiple genes in the model that measure the same aspect of tumor biology.

Gene expression profiles can be used to create multivariate models for predicting survival. The methods for creating these models are called “supervised” because they use clinical data to guide the selection of genes to be used in the prognostic classification. For example, a supervised method might identify genes with expression patterns that correlate with the length of overall survival following chemotherapy. The general method used to create a multivariate model for predicting survival may utilize the following steps:

-   -   1. Identify genes with expression patterns that are univariately         associated with a particular clinical outcome using a Cox         proportional hazards model. Generally, a univariate p-value of         <0.01 is considered the cut-off for significance. These genes         are termed “predictor” genes.     -   2. Within a set of predictor genes, identify gene expression         signatures.     -   3. For each gene expression signature that is significantly         associated with survival, average the expression of the         component genes within this signature to generate a gene         expression signature value.     -   4. Build a multivariate Cox model of clinical outcome using the         gene expression signature values.     -   5. If possible, include additional genes in the model that do         not belong to a gene expression signature but which add to the         statistical power of the model.         This approach has been utilized in the present invention to         create novel survival prediction models for FL, DLBCL, and MCL.         Each of these models generates a survival predictor score, with         a higher score being associated with worse clinical outcome.         Each of these models may be used separately to predict survival.         Alternatively, these models may be used in conjunction with one         or more other models, disclosed herein or in other references,         to predict survival.

A first FL survival predictor was generated using gene expression data obtained using Affymetrix U133A and U133B microarrays. This predictor incorporated immune response-1 and immune response-2 gene expression signatures. Fitting the Cox proportional hazards model to the gene expression signature values obtained from these signatures resulted in the following model: Survival predictor score=[(2.71*immune response-2 gene expression signature value)]−[(2.36×immune response-1 gene expression signature value)].

A second FL survival predictor was generated using gene expression data obtained using Affymetrix U133A and U133B microarrays. This predictor incorporated macrophage, T-cell, and B-cell differentiation gene expression signatures. Fitting the Cox proportional hazards model to the gene expression signature values obtained from these signatures resulted in the following model: Survival predictor score=[2.053*(macrophage gene expression signature value)]−[2.344*(T-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.729*(B-cell differentiation gene expression signature value)].

A third FL survival predictor was generated using gene expression data obtained using the Lymph Dx microarray. This predictor incorporated macrophage, T-cell, and B-cell differentiation gene expression signatures. Fitting the Cox proportional hazards model to the gene expression signature values obtained from these signatures resulted in the following model: Survival predictor score=[1.51*(macrophage gene expression signature value)]−[2.11*(T-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.505*(B-cell differentiation gene expression signature value)].

A first DLBCL survival predictor was generated using gene expression data obtained using Affymetrix U133A and U133B microarrays. This predictor incorporated ABC DLBCL high, lymph node, and MHC class II gene expression signatures. Fitting the Cox proportional hazards model to the gene expression signature values obtained from these signatures resulted in the following model: Survival predictor score=[0.586*(ABC DLBCL high gene expression signature value)]−[0.468*(lymph node gene expression signature value)]−0.336*(MHC class II gene expression signature value)].

A second DLBCL survival predictor was generated using gene expression data obtained using the Lymph Dx microarray. This predictor incorporated lymph node, proliferation, germinal center B-cell, and MHC class II gene expression signatures. Fitting the Cox proportional hazards model to the gene expression signature values obtained from these signatures resulted in the following model: Survival predictor score=[−0.4337*(lymph node gene expression signature value)]+[0.09*(proliferation gene expression signature value)]−[0.4144*(germinal center B-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.2006*(MHC class II gene expression signature value)].

A third DLBCL survival predictor was generated using gene expression data obtained using the Lymph Dx microarray. This predictor incorporated lymph node, germinal center B cell, and MHC class II gene expression signatures. Fitting the Cox proportional hazards model to the gene expression signature values obtained from these signatures resulted in the following model: Survival predictor score=[−0.32*(lymph node gene expression signature value)]−[0.176*(germinal center B-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.206*(MHC class II gene expression signature value)].

A method of refining a DLBCL survival predictor was developed based on analysis of characteristic chromosomal alterations in DLBCL cases. Malignant lymphomas are generally characterized by distinctive recurrent primary chromosomal translocations such as the t(11;14) or t(14;18) in MCL and FL, respectively. By identifying genomic imbalances, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) has the potential to detect less well-characterized chromosomal aberrations in lymphomas that may play an important role in development and progression of the disease. In DLBCL, previous cytogenetic studies have identified a plethora of clonal chromosomal aberrations, some of which are associated with particular morphological or clinical manifestations (Yunis 1989; Monni 1996; Rao 1998; Cigudosa 1999; Schlegelberger 1999; Berglund 2002; Dave 2002; Nanjangud 2002; Bea 2004).

CGH was used to identify chromosomal alterations in 224 DLBCL samples that had previously been broken into subtypes based on gene expression data obtained using a Lymphochip microarray. Chromosomal alterations were observed in 164 of the 224 cases. Certain alterations were differentially distributed among subtypes. For example, gains of chromosome arm 3q were observed in around a fourth of ABC samples, but were never observed in GCB samples and were observed only once in PMBL samples. Similarly, gains of 18q21-q22 were observed in around a third of ABC samples, but were observed in only 10% and 16% of GCB and PMBL samples, respectively. Genomic gains of 3q and 18q have previously been correlated with shorter survival in DLBCL patients (Bea 2004). The present findings provide a clear explanation for this observation, namely that both abnormalities are statistically associated with ABC, which has a worse prognosis than other DLBCL subtypes (Alizadeh 2000; Rosenwald 2002; Rosenwald 2003b). Alternatively, these genetic alterations may themselves contribute at least in part to the ABC gene expression phenotype and its inferior prognosis.

Other chromosomal abnormalities were found to occur more frequently in one DLBCL subtype than another, but without being restricted to a single subtype. For example, deletions of 6q21-q22 occurred in 40% was observed in 40% of ABC samples and 22% of GCB samples, but never in PMBL samples. Gains and amplifications of 12cen-q15 were observed most frequently in GCB samples, but were also observed at a low frequency in both ABC and PMBL samples. These results suggest that certain oncogenic pathways are shared by various DLBCL subtypes, but nonetheless are more frequently utilized in different subtypes.

The distinct patterns of genomic alterations observed across different DLBCL subtypes are consistent with recent studies showing a correlation between gene copy number changes and expression of genes located within the involved genomic regions (Phillips 2001; Virtaneva 2001; Hyman 2002; Pollack 2002; Orsetti 2004).

The relationship between chromosome gains/amplifications and the expression profile of genes located within the gained/amplified regions was examined by RQ-PCR for four chromosomal regions commonly overrepresented in GCB and ABC tumors: 2p14-p16, 3q27-qter, 12q12-q15, and 18q21-q22. A strong impact of genomic gains and amplifications on gene expression was observed. 25-75% of genes located within these chromosomal segments were overexpressed in those tumors with increased DNA copy number.

For many genes, expression levels were significantly higher in samples with gains or amplifications versus samples with normal DNA profiles, which suggests a direct effect of copy number on mRNA expression levels. However, not all genes in overrepresented chromosomal regions were more highly expressed. This suggests that either the individual genes were not amplified or that the functional background of the cell was not appropriate for expression of the gene. For example, REL was significantly overexpressed in GCB samples with overrepresentation of 2p14-p16, but not in ABC samples with overrepresentation of this region. Quantitative PCR analysis confirmed that the REL locus was amplified in virtually all GCB samples with overrepresentation of the 2p14-p16 region. However, REL was not amplified in any of the ABC samples with gains or amplifications of 2p14-p16, indicating that genes other than REL may be targeted by 2p14-p16 gains in ABC. Interestingly, mRNA expression of BCL11A, which is located very close to REL, was not influenced by 2p14-p16 gains in GCB or ABC samples, despite the fact that quantitative PCR analysis showed amplification and gains of the BCL11A locus in both subtypes.

Gene expression studies showed that chromosomal alterations in DLBCL cases are correlated with expression of certain gene expression signatures. Unexpectedly, this correlation was seen not only in gene expression signatures that reflect variation within malignant cells (proliferation and MHC class II signatures), but also in gene expression signatures that reflect the nature of non-malignant DLBCL tumors (T cell and lymph node signatures). The proliferation signature, which is more highly expressed in proliferating than in quiescent cells, was increased in DLBCL samples with genomic loss in 6q21 and gains in several bands of chromosome 3. The MHC class II signature, which reflects the coordinate regulation of all MHC class II genes in malignant DLBCL cells, was decreased in DLBCL samples with gains of 3p11-p12. The T cell signature, which reflects the infiltration of tumors by T cells, was decreased in DLBCL samples with gains of cytobands in chromosomes 7, 11, 12, and X or losses in 6q and 17p. The lymph node signature, which reflects a host response characterized by abundant expression of extracellular matrix components and infiltration of tumors with immune cells other than T cells, was increased in DLBCL samples with Xp21 gains and decreased in samples with gains in several cytobands of chromosome 3.

Previous studies have suggested that specific genetic alterations are relevant to predicting survival in DLBCL cases (Yunis 1989; Bea 2004). However, the present study shows that only gains in certain regions of chromosome 3 are significantly associated with inferior survival after adjusting for multiple variable comparisons. Specifically, gains involving 3p11-p12 were found to have prognostic value that was statistically independent of previously defined DLBCL survival predictors based on optimal gene expression-based models (Rosenwald 2002). This information can be used to create a refined DLBCL survival predictor. For example, a survival predictor score may be calculated using an equation such as: Survival predictor score=[0.241*(proliferation gene expression signature value)]+[0.310*(BMP6 expression value)]−[0.290*(germinal center B cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.311*(MHC class II gene expression signature value)]−[0.249*(lymph node gene expression signature value)], wherein a higher survival predictor score is associated with worse survival. The DLBCL sample may then be assayed for gains or amplifications in the 3p11-p12 using any method, such as for example CGH. The identification of such gains or amplifications corresponds to a decrease in survival, and may be used to adjust the survival predictor score accordingly. Alternatively, Identification of a gain or amplification of 3p11-p12 may be used as a stand-alone indicator of worse survival for a DLBCL patient in the absence of additional gene expression data.

An MCL survival predictor was generated using gene expression data obtained using Affymetrix U133A, Affymetrix U133B, and Lymph Dx microarrays. This predictor incorporated a proliferation gene expression signature. Fitting the Cox proportional hazards model to the gene expression signature values obtained from these signatures resulted in the following model: Survival predictor score=[1.66*(proliferation gene expression signature value)].

Gene expression data can also be used to diagnose and identify lymphoma types. In an embodiment of the present invention, a statistical method based on Bayesian analysis was developed to classify lymphoma specimens according to their gene expression profiles. This method does not merely assign a tumor to a particular lymphoma type, but also determines the probability that the tumor belongs to that lymphoma type. Many different methods have been formulated to predict cancer subgroups (Golub 1999; Ramaswamy 2001; Dudoit 2002; Radmacher 2002). These methods assign tumors to one of two subgroups based on expression of a set of differentially expressed genes. However, they do not provide a probability of membership in a subgroup. By contrast, the method disclosed herein used Bayes' rule to estimate this probability, thus allowing one to vary the probability cut-off for assignment of a tumor to a particular subgroup. In tumor types in which unknown additional subgroups may exist, the present method allows samples that do not meet the gene expression criteria of known subgroups to fall into an unclassified group with intermediate probability. A cancer subgroup predictor of the type described herein may be used clinically to provide quantitative diagnostic information for an individual cancer patient. This information can in turn be used to provide a predictor of treatment outcome for a particular cancer patient.

For any two lymphoma types A and B, there is a set of genes with significantly higher expression in type A than type B, and a set of genes with significantly lower expression in type A than in type B. By observing the expression of these genes in an unknown sample, it is possible to determine to which of the two types the sample belongs. Evaluating the likelihood that a particular sample belongs to one or the other lymphoma type by Bayesian analysis may be done using the following steps:

-   -   1. Identify those genes that are most differentially expressed         between the two lymphoma types. This can be done by selecting         those genes with the largest t-statistic between the two         lymphoma types. The genes in this step may be subdivided into         gene expression signatures in certain cases, with genes from         each signature analyzed separately.     -   2. Create a series of linear predictor score (LPS) for samples         belonging to either lymphoma type.     -   3. Evaluate the LPS for each sample in a training set, and         estimate the distribution of these scores within each lymphoma         type according to a normal distribution.     -   4. Use Bayes' rule to evaluate the probability that each         subsequent sample belongs to one or the other lymphoma type.         If only two types of lymphoma are being distinguished, then a         single probability score is sufficient to discriminate between         the two types. However, if more than two lymphoma types are         being distinguished, multiple scores will be needed to highlight         specific differences between the types.

A novel microarray termed the Lymph Dx microarray is disclosed herein for the identification and diagnosis of various lymphoma types. The Lymph Dx microarray contains cDNA probes corresponding to approximately 2,653 genes, fewer than the number seen on microarrays that have been used previously for lymphoma diagnosis. The reduced number of probes on the Lymph Dx microarray is the result of eliminating genes that are less useful for the identification of lymphoma types and predicting clinical outcome. This reduction allows for simplified analysis of gene expression data. The genes represented on the Lymph Dx microarray can be divided into four broad categories: 1,101 lymphoma predictor genes identified previously using the Affymetrix U133 microarray, 171 outcome predictor genes, 167 new genes not found on the Affymetrix U133 microarray, and 1,121 named genes. A list of the probe sets on the Lymph Dx microarray is presented in Table 2, contained in the file “Table_(—)0002_LymphDx_Probe_List.txt.”

Gene expression data obtained using the Lymph Dx microarray may be used to identify and classify lymphomas using Bayesian analysis using a strategy similar to that set forth above. In certain embodiments, this strategy may include additional steps designed to optimize the number of genes used and the cut-off points between lymphoma types. A general overview of such a method is presented in FIG. 1. Each gene represented on the Lymph Dx microarray was placed into one of three gene-list categories based on its correlation with the lymph node or proliferation gene expression signatures: lymph node, proliferation, or standard. These signatures were identified by clustering of the DLBCL cases using hierarchical clustering and centroid-correlation of 0.35. Standard genes were those with expression patterns that did not correlate highly with expression of the lymph node or proliferation signatures. Lymph Dx gene expression data was first used to identify samples as FL, MCL, SLL, FH, or DLBCL/BL, then to identify DLBCL/BL samples as ABC, GCB, PMBL, or BL. For each stage, a series of pair-wise models was created, with each model containing a different pair of lymphoma types (e.g., FL vs. MCL, SLL vs. FH, etc.). For each pair, the difference in expression of each gene on the microarray was measured, and a t-statistic was generated representing this difference. Genes from each gene-list category were ordered based on their t-statistic, and those with the largest t-statistics were used to generate a series of LPSs for samples belonging to either lymphoma type. The number of genes used to generate the LPSs was optimized by repeating the calculation using between five and 100 genes from each gene-list category. The number of genes from each category used in the final LPS calculation was that which gave rise to the largest difference in LPS between the two lymphoma types. Once the number of genes in each gene-list category was optimized, four different LPSs were calculated for each sample. The first included genes from the standard gene-list category only, the second included genes from the proliferation and standard gene-list categories, the third included genes from the lymph node and standard gene-list categories, and the fourth included genes from all three categories. The probability q that a sample X belongs to the first lymphoma type of a pair-wise model can then be calculated using an equation:

$q = \frac{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)};{\hat{\mu}}_{1}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{1}} \right)}{{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)};{\hat{\mu}}_{1}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{1}} \right)} + {\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)};{\hat{\mu}}_{2}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{2}} \right)}}$ LPS(X) is the LPS for sample X, φ(x; μ, σ) is the normal density function with mean μ and standard deviation σ, {circumflex over (μ)}₁ and {circumflex over (σ)}₁ are the mean and variance of the LPSs for samples belonging to the first lymphoma type, and {circumflex over (μ)}₂ and {circumflex over (σ)}₂ are the mean and variance of the LPSs for samples belonging to the second lymphoma type. Samples with high q values were classified as the first lymphoma type, samples with low q values were classified as the second lymphoma type, and samples with middle range q values were deemed unclassified. To determine the proper cut-off point between high, low, and middle q values, every possible cut-off point between adjacent samples was analyzed by an equation: 3.99*[(% of type 1 misidentified as type 2)+(% of type 2 misidentified as type 1)]+[(% of type 1 unclassified)+(% of type 2 misidentified)]. This equation was used to favor the assignment of a sample to an “unclassified” category rather than to an incorrect lymphoma type. The final cut-off points were those which minimized this equation. The coefficient of 3.99 was chosen arbitrarily to allow an additional classification error only if the adjustment resulted in four or more unclassified samples becoming correctly classified. The coefficient can be varied to achieve a different set of trade-offs between the number of unclassified and misidentified samples.

To ensure that the accuracy of the model was not a result of overfitting, each model was validated by leave-one-out cross-validation. This entailed removing each sample of known lymphoma type from the data one at a time, and then determining whether the model could predict the missing sample. This process confirmed the accuracy of the prediction method.

Bayesian analysis has been used herein to classify lymphoma samples as DLBCL or BL based on gene expression data. BL is characterized by a high degree of proliferation and deregulation of the c-myc gene (Jaffe 2001). The diagnostic distinction between BL and DLBCL is critically important because there are significant differences in their clinical management. Lower-dose chemotherapy regimens typically used to treat DLBCL (e.g., CHOP) are not adequate to treat BL (Bishop 2000; Butler 1993), which requires intensive chemotherapy regimens (Pees 1992; Magrath 1996; Thomas 1999; Mead 2002; Divine 2005). Furthermore, prophylactic intrathecal chemotherapy or systemic chemotherapy that crosses the blood-brain barrier, which are unnecessary in most cases of DLBCL, are essential in the treatment of BL due the high risk of central nervous system involvement (Soussain 1995; Bishop 2000).

The diagnosis of BL relies on morphology, immunophenotype, and cytogenetics (Jaffe 2001). However, DLBCL and BL can have overlapping morphology and immunophenotype, and the characteristic t(8;14) translocation of BL (Neri 1988; Gerbitz 1999; Hecht 2000) is also found in 5-10% of DLBCL cases (Kramer 1998). Since DLBCL is over 20 times more common than BL (Morton 2005), most aggressive lymphomas with t(8;14) are not BL. Thus, the distinction between BL and DLBCL can be difficult and may lead to incorrect clinical decisions and adverse outcomes.

The term Burkitt-like lymphoma has been used to refer to cases that have some features in common with BL. However, the most recent WHO guidelines (Jaffe 2005) have eliminated Burkitt-like lymphoma as a separate diagnostic category. Burkitt-like lymphoma is now synonymous with the term atypical BL, which is reserved for those cases that share the genetic abnormality and immunophenotype of BL but have atypical morphology. It is not clear whether atypical BL is biologically difference from BL or if it merely represents a morphologic variant.

A gene expression-based predictor of BL that diagnoses classic BL with 100% accuracy and distinguishes it from DLBCL has been developed. Surprisingly, eight cases that were given a pathological diagnosis of DLBCL were similar to BL by gene expression and had other molecular and clinical characteristics of BL.

Compared to DLBCL, BL was found to have high expression of the c-myc target gene expression signature and the GC B cell gene expression signature, and low expression of the NF-κB target gene expression signature and the MHC class I gene expression signature. A number of aggressive lymphomas that had been classified as DLBCL by an expert panel of hematopathologists (n=8) were reclassified as BL based on gene expression analysis: All eight of these cases had c-myc translocations and resembled BL with respect to all four gene expression signatures that distinguished BL from DLBCL, suggesting that these cases represent BL that cannot be reliably diagnosed by current methods. Consistent with previous studies (Butler 1993; Magrath 1996; Smeland 2004), patients classified as BL by gene expression had poor outcome with lower dose chemotherapy regimens, yet could be cured with intensive regimes.

The translocation of the c-myc gene and its consequent deregulation is a key oncogenic event in the genesis of BL and, accordingly, expression of the c-myc target gene expression signature distinguished BL from DLBCL. However, c-myc translocations also occur in 5-10% of DLBCL. It is therefore noteworthy that the gene expression-based predictor disclosed herein did not classify any of six DLBCL cases bearing a c-myc translocation as BL. Thus, c-myc deregulation by translocation and the attendant overexpression of c-myc target genes are not sufficient to create the phenotype of BL. Rather, it is likely that additional differences in the molecular pathogenesis of BL and DLBCL contribute to their clinical differences.

In keeping with this notion, BL and DLBCL were found to differ in the expression of three gene expression signatures in addition to the c-myc target gene signature. Both BL and GCB are thought to originate from a germinal center B cell (Mann 1976; Alizadeh 2000). Surprisingly, however, there were subsets of germinal center B cell genes that were differentially expressed between BL and GCB.

NF-κB target genes were expressed at very low levels in BL as compared to the DLBCL subtypes. These genes are also known to be expressed at lower levels in GCB than in ABC and PMBL (Rosenwald 2003b; Savage 2003; Feuerhake 2005; Lam 2005). However, BL was found to express NF-κB target genes at levels even lower than those of GCB. It is unclear at present whether this low expression reflects differences in the malignant cells or in tumor-infiltrating immune cells.

BL tumors expressed MHC class I genes at very low levels compared with DLBCL tumors. Previous studies have documented the loss of MHC class I molecules in some BL-derived cell lines (Voltz 1989), but the mechanism underlying this downmodulation is unclear at present.

The gene expression signatures that distinguish BL and DLBCL provide insight into the nine BL-discrepant cases that were classified as BL by gene expression but DLBCL by the panel of hematopathologists. The five BL-discrepant that were BCL2-negative were indistinguishable from the BL-concordant cases in the expression of all four gene expression signatures. Therefore, these cases bear all the hallmarks of BL but cannot be distinguished using current methodologies. Interestingly, BL-discrepant cases that were BCL2-positive resembled the BL-concordant cases with respect to three gene expression signatures, but had lower expression of the BL-high GC B cell signature. This phenotype was also observed in the BCL2-positive BL-concordant cases. Cases carrying dual translocations t(8;14) and t(14;18) have been described previously as having a very aggressive course and a poor prognosis (Macpherson 1999). The data presented herein confirm that CHOP-like regimens are not adequate to treat such patients.

The method of distinguishing BL and DLBCL disclosed herein provides a more quantitative and reproducible diagnosis of BL than is afforded by current methods based on morphology and immunophenotype. Such a method is clinically important because BL is a curable malignancy. Previous studies have shown that BL patients treated with CHOP-like chemotherapy regimens fare significantly worse than those who receive intensive regimens (Butler 1993; Magrath 1996; Smeland 2004). The results disclosed herein reveal that this also true for cases that were diagnosed as DLBCL pathologically but as BL based on gene expression. Correct identification of these cases will greatly enhance the formulation of treatment options for these BL-discrepant patients.

The methods discussed herein for identifying and classifying lymphoma subtypes have been used to identify and characterize cases of cyclin D1-negative MCL. Cyclin D1 overexpression has generally been considered essential to MCL pathogenesis. In fact, the current WHO guidelines for diagnosing MCL rely on morphologic examination and immunophenotyping, and require demonstration of cyclin D1 overexpression and/or the t(11;14)(q13;q32) for confirmation. Several suspected cases of cyclin-D1 MCL have been identified in recent studies, but these cases have been controversial and difficult to substantiate. Most reported cases of cyclin D1-negative MCL have been attributed to suboptimal immunostaining, inadequate genetic or molecular analyses, or misdiagnosis.

Nevertheless, in a recent study of 99 lymphomas, seven cases were identified that were morphologically consistent with MCL but lacked cyclin D1 expression as measured by quantitative RT-PCR and Lymphochip cDNA microarray analyses (Rosenwald 2003). Other than cyclin D1, these cases exhibited characteristic MCL gene expression signatures as determined by cDNA microarray analysis, and were therefore classified as cyclin D1-negative MCL. One of these seven cases had the characteristic t(11;14)(q13;q32) as determined by FISH analysis, and expressed cyclin D1 as determined by immunohistochemical staining. Thus, this case was determined to be a false negative and was reclassified as cyclin D1-positive MCL. Additional gene expression profiling analysis was performed using U133A/B microarrays, and the algorithm for diagnosing MCL was refined. Using this refined algorithm, four of the six remaining cyclin D1-negative cases were determined to be unclassifiable B-cell lymphomas, and were thus excluded from additional study. The two remaining cases and four newly identified cases were used for the current studies.

The present disclosure confirms and extends previous findings regarding the identification of cyclin D1-negative MCL. Six cases of MCL have been confirmed herein as negative for cyclin D1 mRNA expression by quantitative RT-PCR, microarray analysis, and immunostaining. These cases also lack the characteristic IGH/CCND1 fusion by FISH analysis. Nonetheless, all six cases exhibit the characteristic pathologic features of MCL and, more importantly, shared the characteristic MCL gene expression profile by microarray analysis. Therefore, these cases are regarded as bone fide cases of cyclin D1-negative MCL. The existence of such cases sheds new light on the pathobiology of MCL and challenges the idea that cyclin D1 overexpression is essential to MCL pathogenesis. It is also shown herein that patients with cyclin D1-negative MCL have clinical and pathologic features similar to those with cyclin D1-positive MCL. In particular, tumors in both groups have similar growth patterns and common cytological and immunohistochemical features. Similar age and sex distribution, stage, serum LDH levels, extranodal sites, IPI scores, response to initial treatment, and overall survival are observed in the cyclin D1-positive and cyclin D1-negative groups.

Recent studies have reported 23 cyclin D1-negative cases among 151 cases of lymphoma with the morphological features of MCL based on immunohistochemical staining (Yatabe 2000). Conventional cytogenetics was performed on only three of these 23 cases, and all three were negative for the t(11;14)(q13;q32). However, FISH or quantitative RT-PCR analysis was not performed on any of these cases. Compared to the 128 cyclin D1-positive MCL cases, the 23 cyclin D1-negative cases exhibited significantly better overall survival. Another recent study identified three cases of apparent cyclin D1-negative MCL by immunostains and compared them to 14 cases of typical cyclin D1-positive MCL (Hashimoto 2002). This study suggested that cyclin D1-negative MCL is a more indolent form of MCL. However, neither of these studies provided convincing evidence that the cyclin D1-negative MCL disclosed therein were true cases of MCL. In fact, the Yatabe et al. study notes that some of the cases identified as cyclin D1-negative MCL might actually be marginal zone B-cell lymphomas or atypical small lymphocytic lymphomas (Yatabe 2000). The results presented herein represent the first demonstration of characteristic MCL gene expression signature in a set of cyclin D1-negative MCL cases. No significant difference in clinical features was identified between these cases and cyclin D1-positive MCL.

The pathogenic mechanisms involved in the development of the cyclin D1-negative MCL are currently unknown. Since the oncogenic effect of overexpressed cyclin D1 is considered to be cell cycle dysregulation, other proteins involved in cell cycle control, especially the G1 to S phase transition, were examined. The D-type cyclins, D1, D2 and D3, are all positive promoters of cell cycle progression from the G1 to S phase. The D-type cyclins are similar in structure and biochemical function (Inaba 1992), but are expressed in a lineage-specific manner (Sherr 1994). There is considerable redundancy in the growth promoting function of the D-type cyclins, since only limited phenotypic consequences due to the absence of either cyclin D1, D2, or D3 are seen in gene knock-out mice (Sicinski 1995; Sicinski 1996; Ciemerych 2002; Sicinska 2003). In non-neoplastic lymph nodes and tonsils, cyclin D2 is found mainly in interfollicular T-cells, whereas cyclin D3 is found in centroblasts in lymphoid follicles and in scattered B cells and T cells of the interfollicular areas (Teramoto 1999). However, cyclin D1 is not expressed in non-neoplastic T-cells or B-cells (Rosenberg 1991; Yang 1994). In low-grade B-cell malignancies, overexpression of cyclin D2 mRNA was observed by Northern blot analysis in 29 of 34 CLL cases and in all seven LPC cases, but not in two cases of MCL (Delmer 1995). Cyclin D3 appears to be expressed more ubiquitously in B-cell malignancies, including FL, marginal zone lymphoma, and DLBCL (Ciemerych 2002), but is usually not expressed in lymphoid malignancies with either cyclin D1 or D2 overexpression (Ott 1997; Doglioni 1998; Suzuki 1999). In the current study, overexpression of either cyclin D2 or D3 was observed in all six cases of cyclin D1-negative MCL, indicating an important substitute role for these cyclins in the pathogenesis of cyclin D1-negative MCL. However, the mechanism of cyclin D2 or D3 up-regulation in these cases remains unclear. No chromosomal translocations or gene amplifications involving the cyclin D2 or D3 gene loci by FISH analysis were identified in these cases. The findings herein are consistent with several previous studies which suggested that deregulation of cyclin D2 or D3 expression is often due to epigenetic mechanisms (Andreasson 1998; Bergsagel 2003; Pruneri 2003).

Dysregulation of other genes or factors important in cell cycle control could also play a role in the pathogenesis of such cases. These may include dysregulation of p27^(kip1), up-regulation of cyclin E, inactivation of the RB gene, deletion of the p16^(INK)4a/p14^(ARF) locus, as well as involvement of other genes. The p27^(kip1) protein regulates cellular progression from G1 into S phase by inhibiting the cyclin E/CDK2 complex (Polyak 1994). Regulation of p27^(kip1) occurs primarily through posttranscriptional mechanisms, including sequestration by cyclin D1 or cyclin D3 (Lin 2003; Quintanilla-Martinez 2003) or proteasomal degradation (Chiarle 2000). In a prior study, expression of p27^(kip1) as assessed by immunostains was noted in only five of 40 cases of typical MCL, but was found in eight of ten cases of blastic MCL (Quintanilla-Martinez 1998). In the current study, down-regulation of p27^(kip1) protein expression was seen in all six cases, similar to that seen in typical cyclin D1-positive MCL.

The E-type cyclins, including cyclin E1 and E2, are also important in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. When combined with CDK2, cyclin E promotes the hyper-phosphorylation of RB protein, and thereby facilitates the entry of cells into S phase (Sherr 1996). However, none of the present cases were positive for cyclin E expression, arguing against a role for cyclin E in the pathogenesis of cyclin D1-negative MCL. Inactivation of the RB tumor suppressor gene has been implicated in the development of various types of human malignancy. However, RB protein expression was identified in all of our cases and the expression levels were similar to those seen in cyclin D1-positive MCL. The present findings are consistent with a previous study concluding that RB protein appears to be normally regulated in MCL (Jares 1996). The present study also investigated whether deletions of the tumor suppressor genes p16^(INK4a) and p14^(ARF) play a role in cyclin D1-negative MCL. p16^(INK4a) regulates the G1/S phase transition by forming binary complexes with CDK 4 and 6, thereby preventing these subunits from association with D-type cyclins (Sherr 2002). Deletion of p16^(INK4a) or cyclin D1 overexpression may therefore promote the G1/S phase transition by the same mechanism. An important function of p14^(ARF) is to augment p53 function by antagonizing MDM2, and loss of p14^(ARF) function may contribute to the enhanced proliferation in tumor cells (Sherr 2002). As has been shown previously, INK4a/ARF locus deletions occur in up to 21% (18/85) cases of MCL and are preferentially observed among the more proliferative cases (Rosenwald 2003). However, deletion of the INK4a/ARF locus was not identified in any of the six cases, arguing against a role for p16^(INK4a)/p14^(ARF) in the pathogenesis of cyclin D1-negative MCL.

The classification of a lymphoproliferative disorder in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may be used in combination with any other effective classification feature or set of features. For example, a disorder may be classified by a method of the present invention in conjunction with WHO suggested guidelines, morphological properties, histochemical properties, chromosomal structure, genetic mutation, cellular proliferation rates, immunoreactivity, clinical presentation, and/or response to chemical, biological, or other agents. Embodiments of the present invention may be used in lieu of or in conjunction with other methods for lymphoma diagnosis, such as immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, FISH for translocations, or viral diagnostics.

Accurate determination of lymphoma type in a subject allows for better selection and application of therapeutic methods. Knowledge about the exact lymphoma affecting a subject allows a clinician to select therapies or treatments that are most appropriate and useful for that subject, while avoiding therapies that are nonproductive or even counterproductive. For example, CNS prophylaxis may be useful for treating BL but not DLBCL, CHOP treatment may be useful for treating DLBCL but not blastic MCL (Fisher 1993; Khouri 1998), and subjects with follicular lymphoma frequently receive treatment while subjects with follicular hyperplasia do not. In each of these situations, the lymphoma types or subtypes in question can be difficult to distinguish using prior art diagnostic methods. The diagnostic and identification methods of the present invention allow for more precise delineation between these lymphomas, which simplifies the decision of whether to pursue a particular therapeutic option. Likewise, the survival prediction methods disclosed in the present invention also allow for better selection of therapeutic options. A subject with a very low survival predictor score (i.e., very good prognosis) may not receive treatment, but may instead be subjected to periodic check-ups and diligent observation. As survival predictor scores increase (i.e., prognosis gets worse), subjects may receive more intensive treatments. Those subjects with the highest survival predictor scores (i.e., very poor prognosis) may receive experimental treatments or treatments with novel agents. Accurate survival prediction using the methods disclosed herein provides an improved tool for selecting treatment options and for predicting the likely clinical outcome of those options.

Any effective method of quantifying the expression of at least one gene, gene set, or group of gene sets may be used to acquire gene expression data for use in embodiments of the present invention. For example, gene expression data may be measured or estimated using one or more microarrays. The microarrays may be of any effective type, including but not limited to nucleic acid based or antibody based. Gene expression may also be measured by a variety of other techniques, including but not limited to PCR, quantitative RT-PCR, real-time PCR, RNA amplification, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, FACS, serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) (Velculescu 1995), Northern blot hybridization, or western blot hybridization.

Nucleic acid microarrays generally comprise nucleic acid probes derived from individual genes and placed in an ordered array on a support. This support may be, for example, a glass slide, a nylon membrane, or a silicon wafer. Gene expression patterns in a sample are obtained by hybridizing the microarray with the gene expression product from the sample. This gene expression product may be, for example, total cellular mRNA, rRNA, or cDNA obtained by reverse transcription of total cellular mRNA. The gene expression product from a sample is labeled with a radioactive, fluorescent, or other label to allow for detection. Following hybridization, the microarray is washed, and hybridization of gene expression product to each nucleic acid probe on the microarray is detected and quantified using a detection device such as a phosphorimager or scanning confocal microscope.

There are two broad classes of microarrays: cDNA and oligonucleotide arrays. cDNA arrays consist of hundreds or thousands of cDNA probes immobilized on a solid support. These cDNA probes are usually 100 nucleotides or greater in size. There are two commonly used designs for cDNA arrays. The first is the nitrocellulose filter array, which is generally prepared by robotic spotting of purified DNA fragments or lysates of bacteria containing cDNA clones onto a nitrocellulose filter (Southern 1992; Southern 1994; Gress 1996; Pietu 1996). The other commonly used cDNA arrays is fabricated by robotic spotting of PCR fragments from cDNA clones onto glass microscope slides (Schena 1995; DeRisi 1996; Schena 1996; Shalon 1996; DeRisi 1997; Heller 1997; Lashkari 1997). These cDNA microarrays are simultaneously hybridized with two fluorescent cDNA probes, each labeled with a different fluorescent dye (typically Cy3 or Cy5). In this format, the relative mRNA expression in two samples is directly compared for each gene on the microarray. Oligonucleotide arrays differ from cDNA arrays in that the probes are 20- to 25-mer oligonucleotides. Oligonucleotide arrays are generally produced by in situ oligonucleotide synthesis in conjunction with photolithographic masking techniques (Pease 1994; Lipshutz 1995; Chee 1996; Lockhart 1996; Wodicka 1997). The solid support for oligonucleotide arrays is typically a glass or silicon surface.

Methods and techniques applicable to array synthesis and use have been described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,854 (Pirrung), U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,974 (Holmes), U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,743 (Barrett), U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,633 (Fodor), U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,261 (Winkler), U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,186 (Fodor), U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,934 (Fodor), U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,683 (Barrett), U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,867 (Barrett), U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,074 (Aldwin), U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,681 (Holmes), U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,215 (Holmes), U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,639 (Hubbell), U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,832 (Trulson), U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,839 (Hubbell), U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,695 (Pease), U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,711 (Sundberg), U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,734 (Stern), U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,716 (Chee), U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,070 (Pease), U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,832 (Chee), U.S. Pat. No. 5,856,101 (Hubbell), U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,659 (Sapolsky), U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,324 (Montagu), U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,740 (Fodor), U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,164 (Chee), U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,185 (Matson), U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,956 (Stern), U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,601 (Trulson), U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,860 (Lockhart), U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,193 (Winkler), U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,555 (Fiekowsky), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,410,229 (Lockhart), and U.S. patent application Publication No. 20030104411 (Fodor). Each of the above patents and applications is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Microarrays may generally be produced using a variety of techniques, such as mechanical or light directed synthesis methods that incorporate a combination of photolithographic methods and solid phase synthesis methods. Techniques for the synthesis of microarrays using mechanical synthesis methods are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,261 (Winkler) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,193 (Winkler). Although a planar array surface is preferred, the microarray may be fabricated on a surface of virtually any shape, or even on a multiplicity of surfaces. Microarrays may be nucleic acids on beads, gels, polymeric surfaces, fibers such as fiber optics, glass or any other appropriate substrate. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,153 (Dower); U.S. Pat. No. 5,770,358 (Dower); U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,162 (Dower); U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,992 (Fodor); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,193 (Winkler), each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Microarrays may be packaged in such a manner as to allow for diagnostic use, or they can be an all-inclusive device. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,856,174 (Lipshutz) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,591 (Anderson), both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

Microarrays directed to a variety of purposes are commercially available from Affymetrix (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, Calif.). For instance, these microarrays may be used for genotyping and gene expression monitoring for a variety of eukaryotic and prokaryotic species.

The following examples are provided to better illustrate the claimed invention and are not to be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. To the extent that specific materials are mentioned, it is merely for purposes of illustration and is not intended to limit the invention. One skilled in the art may develop equivalent means or reactants without the exercise of inventive capacity and without departing from the scope of the invention. It will be understood that many variations can be made in the procedures herein described while still remaining within the bounds of the present invention. It is the intention of the inventors that such variations are included within the scope of the invention.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Collection and Analysis of Gene Expression Data Using Affymetrix U133A and U133B Microarrays

568 cell samples representing various forms of human lymphoid malignancies were obtained by biopsy using known methods described in the literature. The samples were reviewed by a panel of hematopathologists and classified into the following lymphoma types based on current diagnostic criteria:

-   -   231 diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCL)     -   191 follicular lymphomas (FL)     -   26 Burkitt lymphomas (BL)     -   21 mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)     -   18 follicular hyperplasias (FH)     -   17 small cell lymphocytic lymphomas (SLL)     -   16 mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas (MALT)     -   13 splenic lymphomas (Splenic)     -   10 cyclin-D1 negative lymphomas with MCL morphology (CD1negMCL)     -   9 multiple myeloma (Mult_Myeloma)     -   6 lymphoplasmacytic lymphomas (LPC)     -   4 post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD)     -   3 lymphoblastic lymphomas (Lymbl)     -   3 nodal marginal zone lymphomas (NMZ)         The 231 DLBCL samples were subdivided into the following         lymphoma types based on gene expression (see below):     -   88 germinal center B cell-like (GCB)     -   78 activated B cell-like (ABC)     -   33 primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma (PMBL)     -   32 samples for which the subtype could not be determined         (UC_DLBCL)         The 16 MALT samples were subdivided into the following four         group based on tumor origin:     -   9 from the gastric region (MALT_gastric)     -   1 from the salivary gland (MALT_salivary)     -   1 from the lung (MALT_lung)     -   1 from the tonsil (MALT_tonsil)     -   4 of unknown origin (MALT_unk)

Each of the 568 cell samples was given a unique sample ID number consisting of the lymphoma type followed by a unique numerical identifier. For example, “ABC_(—)304” refers to an ABC DLBCL sample numbered 304. Cells were purified and RNA was isolated from the purified cells according to known methods described in the literature.

Aliquots of RNA from each sample were applied to Affymetrix U133A and Affymetrix U133B microarrays according to standard Affymetrix protocol. The U133A and U133B microarrays are divided into probe sets, with each probe set consisting of up to 69 oligonucleotide probes 25 nucleotides in length. Each probe set represents a distinct human gene. Information pertaining to these microarrays is available at the Affymetrix company web site. Each microarray was scanned using an Affymetrix scanner, which records signal intensity for every probe on the microarray. This information can be transformed into summary signal values for each probe set using a number of different algorithms, including MAS 5.0, D-chip (Li 2001), or Bioconductor's RMA algorithms (Irizarry 2003). The images produced by the scanner were evaluated by Affymetrix MAS 5.0 software and stored as tables in .txt format. Since each sample was scanned on both microarrays, there are two .txt files for each sample. Each .txt file was given a unique name consisting of the table number, sample ID number (discussed above), and a letter denoting the microarray used. For example, Table_(—)0588_ABC_(—)304 A.txt is the .txt file for Table 588, which contains data for sample ID number ABC_(—)304 from the U133A array. The data for each sample tested is contained in Tables 3-1138.

The signal value for each probe on the U133A and U133B microarrays was normalized to a target value of 500, and the base-2 log of the normalized values was used for the following analyses. Log-signal values for each probe set are presented in Tables 1139-1706, contained in files with the title format “Table_No._NAME_log_signal.txt,” where NAME refers to the sample ID number (e.g., ABC_(—)304). The first column provides the UNIQID for the probe set, while the second column provides the log-signal value.

Log-signal files were statistically analyzed using S+ software and the S+ subtype predictor script contained in the file entitled “Subtype_Predictor.txt,” located in the computer program listing appendix contained on CD number 22 of 22. Although the log-signal values were analyzed using S+ software and the above algorithm, any effective software/algorithm combination may be used. Tables 1707-1721 provide descriptive statistical characteristics for each of the lymphoma types tested except for CD1negMCL, non-gastric MALT, and UC_DLBCL. Table 1722 provides statistical characteristics for all MALT samples combined, while Table 1723 does likewise for all DLBCL samples.

The files containing Tables 1707-1723 have the title format “Table_No._TYPE_Stats.txt,” where TYPE refers to the lymphoma type. Each row of these tables represents a particular probe set. The first column of each table provides the UNIQID for the probe set, while the second column provides the average log-signal for the probe set over all samples of a particular lymphoma type. The third column provides the log-fold change in expression of the probe set between the lymphoma type in question and a second lymphoma type. For example, if logfold.ABC.vs.GCB is −0.21 for gene X, expression of gene X in the ABC samples is, on average, 0.86 (i.e., 2^(−0.21)) times greater than expression of gene X in the GCB samples. The fourth column provides a two-sided P-value derived from a t-test of the log signals of the two lymphoma types compared in column three. If, for example, P.value.ABC.vs.GCB was 0.00001 for gene X, this would indicate that the observed difference in expression of gene X between ABC and GCB would only occur approximately one time in 100,000 if there was no actual difference in gene X expression between the two lymphoma types. The remainder of the columns can be read as pairs that repeat the pattern of columns three and four, presenting the log-fold change and P-value of the difference in expression of the probe set for the lymphoma type in question versus all other lymphoma types being tested. Tables 1710, 1715, and 1723 (corresponding to FL, MCL, and DLBCL, respectively) contain two additional columns entitled “TYPE_Cox_coefficient” and “TYPE_Cox_P_value.” The content of these columns is discussed in the following examples.

Example 2 Collection of Gene Expression Data Using the Novel Lymph Dx Microarray

The novel Lymph Dx microarray contains cDNA probes corresponding to approximately 2,734 genes. 174 of these are “housekeeping” genes present for quality control, since they represent genes that are most variably expressed across all lymphoma samples. Other genes represented on the microarray were selected for their utility in identifying particular lymphoma samples and predicting survival in those samples. The genes represented on the Lymph Dx microarray can be divided into four broad categories: 1,101 lymphoma predictor genes identified previously using the Affymetrix U133 microarray, 171 outcome predictor genes identified using the Affymetrix U133 microarray, 167 genes not found on the Affymetrix U133 microarray but represented on the Lymphochip microarray (Alizadeh 1999), and 1,121 named genes. The types of genes making up each of these broad categories are summarized in Table 1724, below, while the specific genes represented on the Lymph Dx microarray are listed in Table 2, contained in the file “Table_(—)0002_LymphDx_Probe_List.txt.”

TABLE 1724 Number of Gene type genes Lymphoma predictor genes 1101 Subtype specific 763 Lymph node signature 178 Proliferation signature 160 Outcome predictor genes 171 DLBCL 79 FL 81 MCL 11 New genes not on U133 167 Lymphochip lymphoma predictor genes 84 EBV and HHV8 viral genes 18 BCL-2/cyclin D1/INK4a specialty probes 14 Named genes missing from U133 51 Named genes 1121 Protein kinase 440 Interleukin 35 Interleukin receptor 29 Chemokine 51 Chemokine receptor 29 TNF family 26 TNF receptor family 51 Adhesion 45 Surface marker 264 Oncogene/tumor suppressor 49 Apoptosis 46 Drug target 10 Regulatory 46

Cell samples representing various forms of human lymphoid malignancy were obtained by biopsy using known methods described in the literature. These 634 biopsy samples were reviewed by a panel of hematopathologists and classified into the following lymphoma types based on current diagnostic criteria:

-   -   201 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL)     -   191 follicular lymphomas (FL)     -   60 Burkitt lymphomas (BL)     -   21 mantle cell lymphomas (MCL)     -   30 primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma (PMBL)     -   18 follicular hyperplasias (FH)     -   18 small cell lymphocytic lymphomas (SLL)     -   17 mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas (MALT), including         9 gastric MALTs (GMALT)     -   16 chronic lymphocytic leukemias (CLL)     -   13 splenic lymphomas (SPL)     -   11 lymphoplasmacytic lymphomas (LPC)     -   11 transformed DLBCL (trDLBCL) (DLBCL that arose from an         antecedent FL)     -   10 cyclin D1 negative lymphomas with MCL morphology (CD1 N)     -   6 peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL)     -   4 post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD)     -   4 nodal marginal zone lymphomas (NMZ)     -   3 lymphoblastic lymphomas (LBL)

Each of the 634 samples was given a unique sample ID number consisting of the lymphoma type followed by a unique numerical identifier. For example, “BL_(—)2032_(—)52748” refers to a Burkitt lymphoma sample with the numerical identifier 2032_(—)52748. Cells were purified and RNA was isolated from the purified cells according to known methods described in the literature.

Aliquots of purified RNA from each sample were applied to the Lymph Dx microarrays according to standard Affymetrix microarray protocol. Each microarray was scanned on an Affymetrix scanner. This scanner produced an image of the microarray, which was then evaluated by Affymetrix MAS 5.0 software. This information was stored in tables in .txt format. Each of these .txt files was given a unique name consisting of the table number, the sample ID number (discussed above), and the UNIQID for identifying the array data in the National Cancer Institute Database. For example, Table_(—)1725_BL_(—)2032_(—)52748.txt is the .txt file for Table 1725, which contains data for sample ID number BL_(—)2032. The data for each sample analyzed is contained in Tables 1725-2358. The signal intensity for each probe on the microarray can be transformed into summary signal values for each probe set through a number of different algorithms, including but not limited to MAS 5.0, D-chip (Li 2001), or Bioconductor's RMA algorithms (Irizarry 2003).

Example 3 Development of a First FL Survival Predictor Using Gene Expression Data from Affymetrix U133A and U133B Microarrays

An analytical method entitled Survival Signature Analysis was developed to create survival prediction models for lymphoma. This method is summarized in FIG. 2. The key feature of this method is the identification of gene expression signatures. Survival Signature Analysis begins by identifying genes whose expression patterns are statistically associated with survival. A hierarchical clustering algorithm is then used to identify subsets of these genes with correlated expression patterns across the lymphoma samples. These subsets are operationally defined as “survival-associated signatures.” Evaluating a limited number of survival-associated signatures mitigates the multiple comparison problems that are inherent in the use of large-scale gene expression data sets to create statistical models of survival (Ransohoff 2004).

FL samples were divided into two equivalent groups: a training set (95 samples) for developing the survival prediction model, and a validation set (96 samples) for evaluating the reproducibility of the model. The overall survival of this cohort is depicted in FIG. 3. The median age at diagnosis was 51 years (ranging from 23 to 81 years), and the patients had a median follow-up of 6.6 years (8.1 years for survivors, with a range of <1 to 28.2 years). Gene expression data from Affymetrix U133A and U133B microarrays was obtained for each sample. Within the training set, a Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify “survival predictor” genes, which were genes whose expression levels were associated with long survival (good prognosis genes) or short survival (poor prognosis genes). A hierarchical clustering algorithm (Eisen 1998) was used to identify gene expression signatures within the good and poor prognosis genes according to their expression pattern across all samples. Ten gene expression signatures were observed within either the good prognosis or poor prognosis gene sets (FIG. 4). The expression level of every component gene in each of these ten gene expression signatures was averaged to create a gene expression signature value.

To create a multivariate model of survival, different combinations of the ten gene expression signature values were generated and evaluated for their ability to predict survival within the training set. Among models consisting of two signatures, an exceptionally strong statistical synergy was observed between one signature from the good prognosis group and one signature from the poor prognosis group. These signatures were deemed “immune. response-1” and “immune response-2,” respectively; based on the biological function of certain genes within each signature. The immune response-1 gene expression signature included genes encoding T cell markers (e.g., CD7, CD8B1, ITK, LEF1, STAT4) and .genes that are highly expressed in rnacrophaqes (e.g., ACTN1, TNFSF13B). The immune response-1 signature is not merely a surrogate for the number of T cells in the FL biopsy sample because many other standard T cell genes (e.g., CD2, CD4, LAT, TRIM, SH2D1A) were not associated with survival. The immune response-2 gene expression signature included genes known to be preferentially expressed in macrophages and/or dendritic cells (e.g., TLR5, FCGR1A, SEPT10, LGMN, C3AR1). Table 2359 lists the genes that were used to generate the gene expression signature values for the immune response-1 and immune response-2 signatures. The Unigene ID Build database referenced in the following tables is available at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) web site.

TABLE 2359 Signature UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Gene symbol Immune response-1 1095985 83883 TMEPAI Immune response-1 1096579 117339 HCST Immune response-1 1097255 380144 Immune response-1 1097307 379754 LOC340061 Immune response-1 1097329 528675 TEAD1 Immune response-1 1097561 19221 C20orf112 Immune response-1 1098152 377588 KIAA1450 Immune response-1 1098405 362807 IL7R Immune response-1 1098548 436639 NFIC Immune response-1 1098893 43577 ATP8B2 Immune response-1 1099053 376041 Immune response-1 1100871 48353 Immune response-1 1101004 2969 SKI Immune response-1 1103303 49605 C9orf52 Immune response-1 1107713 171806 Immune response-1 1115194 270737 TNFSF13B Immune response-1 1119251 433941 SEPW1 Immune response-1 1119838 469951 GNAQ Immune response-1 1119924 32309 INPP1 Immune response-1 1120196 173802 TBC1D4 Immune response-1 1120267 256278 TNFRSF1B Immune response-1 1121313 290432 HOXB2 Immune response-1 1121406 NA TNFSF12 Immune response-1 1121720 80642 STAT4 Immune response-1 1122956 113987 LGALS2 Immune response-1 1123038 119000 ACTN1 Immune response-1 1123092 437191 PTRF Immune response-1 1123875 428 FLT3LG Immune response-1 1124760 419149 JAM3 Immune response-1 1128356 415792 C1RL Immune response-1 1128395 7188 SEMA4C Immune response-1 1132104 173802 TBC1D4 Immune response-1 1133408 12802 DDEF2 Immune response-1 1134069 405667 CD8B1 Immune response-1 1134751 106185 RALGDS Immune response-1 1134945 81897 KIAA1128 Immune response-1 1135743 299558 TNFRSF25 Immune response-1 1135968 119000 ACTN1 Immune response-1 1136048 299558 TNFRSF25 Immune response-1 1136087 211576 ITK Immune response-1 1137137 195464 FLNA Immune response-1 1137289 36972 CD7 Immune response-1 1137534 36972 CD7 Immune response-1 1139339 47099 GALNT12 Immune response-1 1139461 14770 BIN2 Immune response-1 1140391 44865 LEF1 Immune response-1 1140524 10784 C6orf37 Immune response-1 1140759 298530 RAB27A Immune response-2 1118755 127826 EPOR Immune response-2 1118966 19196 LOC51619 Immune response-2 1121053 1690 FGFBP1 Immune response-2 1121267 334629 SLN Immune response-2 1121331 8980 TESK2 Immune response-2 1121766 396566 MPP3 Immune response-2 1121852 421391 LECT1 Immune response-2 1122624 126378 ABCG4 Immune response-2 1122679 232770 ALOXE3 Immune response-2 1122770 66578 CRHR2 Immune response-2 1123767 1309 CD1A Immune response-2 1123841 389 ADH7 Immune response-2 1126097 498015 Immune response-2 1126380 159408 Immune response-2 1126628 254321 CTNNA1 Immune response-2 1126836 414410 NEK1 Immune response-2 1127277 121494 SPAM1 Immune response-2 1127519 NA Immune response-2 1127648 285050 Immune response-2 1128483 444359 SEMA4G Immune response-2 1128818 115830 HS3ST2 Immune response-2 1129012 95497 SLC2A9 Immune response-2 1129582 272236 C21orf77 Immune response-2 1129658 58356 PGLYRP4 Immune response-2 1129705 289368 ADAM19 Immune response-2 1129867 283963 G6PC2 Immune response-2 1130003 432799 Immune response-2 1130388 19196 LOC51619 Immune response-2 1131837 156114 PTPNS1 Immune response-2 1133843 6682 SLC7A11 Immune response-2 1133949 502092 PSG9 Immune response-2 1134447 417628 CRHR1 Immune response-2 1135117 512646 PSG6 Immune response-2 1136017 1645 CYP4A11 Immune response-2 1137478 315235 ALDOB Immune response-2 1137745 26776 NTRK3 Immune response-2 1137768 479985 Immune response-2 1138476 351874 HLA-DOA Immune response-2 1138529 407604 CRSP2 Immune response-2 1138601 149473 PRSS7 Immune response-2 1139862 251383 CHST4 Immune response-2 1140189 287369 IL22 Immune response-2 1140389 22116 CDC14B

Although the immune response-1 and immune response-2 gene expression signatures taken individually were not ideal predictors of survival, the binary model formed by combining the two was more predictive of survival in the training set than any other binary model (p<0.001). Using this binary model as an anchor, other signatures were added to the model using a step up procedure (Drapner 1966). Of the remaining eight signatures, only one signature contributed significantly to the model in the training set (p<0.01), resulting in a three-variable model for survival. This model was associated with survival in a highly statistically significant fashion in both the training (p<0.001) and validation sets (p=0.003). However, only the immune response-1 and immune response-2 gene expression signatures contributed to the predictive power of the model in both the training set and the validation set. The predictive power of each of these signatures is summarized in Table 2360.

TABLE 2360 Contribution of Relative risk of death Effect of Gene signature to model in among patients in increased expression validation set (p- validation set (95% expression signature value) C.I.) on survival Immune <0.001 0.15 (0.05-0.46) Favorable response-1 Immune <0.001 9.35 (3.02-28.9) Poor response-2 Based on this information, the third signature was removed from the model and the two-signature model was used to generate a survival predictor score using the following equation: Survival predictor score=[(2.71*immune response-2 gene expression signature value)]−[(2.36×immune response-1 gene expression signature value)]. A higher survival predictor score was associated with worse outcome. The two-signature model was associated with survival in a statistically significant fashion in both the training set (p<0.001) and the validation set (p<0.001), which demonstrated that the model was reproducible. For the 187 FL samples with available clinical data, the survival predictor score had a mean of 1.6 and a standard deviation of 0.894, with each unit increase in the predictor score corresponding to a 2.5 fold increase in the relative risk of death. Data for all 191 samples is shown in Table 2361.

TABLE 2361 Length of Status Immune Immune Survival Sample follow-up at response-1 response-2 predictor ID # Set (years) follow-up signature value signature value score FL_1073 Training 7.68 Dead 9.20 8.67 1.77 FL_1074 Training 4.52 Dead 9.10 8.57 1.74 FL_1075 Validation 4.52 Dead 8.97 8.69 2.38 FL_1076 Training 3.22 Dead 9.20 8.55 1.44 FL_1077 Training 7.06 Alive 9.80 8.46 −0.20 FL_1078 Training 4.95 Alive 9.32 8.23 0.30 FL_1080 Training 6.05 Alive 9.45 8.94 1.93 FL_1081 Validation 6.61 Alive 9.00 8.22 1.05 FL_1083 Training 10.01 Alive 9.82 8.72 0.47 FL_1085 Validation 8.84 Alive 9.31 8.58 1.29 FL_1086 Validation 1.98 Dead 9.49 9.09 2.22 FL_1087 Training 8.19 Alive 9.98 9.27 1.57 FL_1088 Validation 5.30 Alive 9.22 8.47 1.20 FL_1089 Training 10.72 Alive 9.42 8.35 0.40 FL_1090 Validation 10.20 Alive 9.27 8.37 0.82 FL_1097 Validation 8.79 Dead 9.87 8.92 0.87 FL_1098 Validation 5.34 Dead 9.33 8.81 1.87 FL_1099 Training 7.65 Alive 9.73 9.04 1.54 FL_1102 Validation 13.20 Dead 9.45 8.89 1.79 FL_1104 Training 8.42 Dead 9.30 8.27 0.48 FL_1106 Validation 7.94 Alive 9.13 9.19 3.36 FL_1107 Training 5.01 Dead 9.41 9.32 3.07 FL_1183 Training 11.56 Dead 9.31 8.53 1.16 FL_1184 Training 6.93 Dead 9.66 8.83 1.13 FL_1185 Validation 7.02 Dead 9.23 9.09 2.86 FL_1186 Training 1.34 Dead 9.01 8.84 2.68 FL_1416 Validation 6.21 Alive 9.50 8.67 1.08 FL_1417 Training 2.40 Dead 8.47 8.39 2.73 FL_1418 Validation 3.59 Alive 8.94 8.42 1.72 FL_1419 Training 3.85 Alive 9.82 8.56 0.03 FL_1422 Training 5.72 Alive 9.46 8.49 0.68 FL_1425 Validation 4.26 Alive 8.93 8.50 1.98 FL_1426 Training 7.32 Alive 9.08 8.26 0.97 FL_1427 Training 5.22 Alive 8.57 8.28 2.22 FL_1428 Validation 5.41 Dead 9.22 8.44 1.10 FL_1432 Training 3.66 Alive 9.22 8.95 2.51 FL_1436 Training 9.08 Dead 9.48 8.63 1.02 FL_1440 Training 7.85 Alive 9.07 8.35 1.22 FL_1445 Training 9.24 Dead 8.67 8.66 3.01 FL_1450 Validation 0.65 Dead 9.83 9.99 3.86 FL_1472 Validation 16.72 Alive 8.85 8.49 2.10 FL_1473 Training 15.07 Alive 9.75 8.50 0.02 FL_1474 Validation 2.75 Dead 9.34 9.10 2.62 FL_1476 Validation 4.08 Dead 9.51 8.87 1.60 FL_1477 Training 0.59 Dead 9.64 9.06 1.83 FL_1478 Training 12.47 Dead 9.60 8.87 1.39 FL_1479 Training 2.29 Dead 8.71 9.07 4.01 FL_1480 Training 16.29 Alive 9.40 8.67 1.30 FL_1579 Training 8.22 Dead 8.81 8.44 2.10 FL_1580 Training 19.30 Alive 9.58 8.52 0.49 FL_1581 Training 9.52 Dead 9.08 9.02 3.00 FL_1582 Validation 1.30 Dead 8.40 8.18 2.36 FL_1583 Training 15.26 Dead 9.47 8.79 1.48 FL_1584 Training 15.73 Dead 9.44 8.55 0.89 FL_1585 Validation 0.01 Alive 8.96 8.53 1.96 FL_1586 Validation 3.11 Alive 9.38 8.55 1.03 FL_1588 Training 0.49 Dead 9.52 9.06 2.08 FL_1589 Training 3.15 Alive 9.72 8.74 0.72 FL_1591 Training 11.22 Alive 9.49 8.62 0.97 FL_1594 Validation 11.19 Alive 9.25 8.59 1.47 FL_1595 Training 8.03 Alive 9.75 9.60 3.01 FL_1598 Validation 2.80 Dead 8.81 8.33 1.79 FL_1599 Validation 6.17 Alive 9.48 8.65 1.06 FL_1603 Training 5.17 Dead 9.66 9.75 3.63 FL_1604 Training 3.98 Dead 9.24 8.86 2.20 FL_1606 Validation 4.22 Dead 9.45 9.18 2.57 FL_1607 Validation 8.12 Alive 9.40 8.60 1.13 FL_1608 Validation 9.70 Alive 8.92 8.41 1.72 FL_1610 Validation 2.05 Dead 9.33 9.35 3.32 FL_1611 Validation 10.15 Alive 9.42 8.69 1.31 FL_1616 Training 2.36 Dead 9.38 8.82 1.78 FL_1617 Validation 7.85 Alive 8.96 8.49 1.87 FL_1619 Validation 9.24 Dead 9.43 8.56 0.94 FL_1620 Validation 9.36 Dead 9.14 8.35 1.04 FL_1622 Training 14.01 Alive 9.23 8.53 1.33 FL_1623 Training 9.72 Alive 9.67 8.93 1.38 FL_1624 Validation 3.98 Dead 9.05 8.50 1.70 FL_1625 Validation 11.16 Alive 8.98 8.47 1.75 FL_1626 Validation 6.47 Dead 8.59 8.14 1.76 FL_1628 Validation 0.82 Dead 9.80 8.72 0.51 FL_1637 Validation 18.81 Alive 9.95 9.58 2.48 FL_1638 Validation 4.06 Alive 9.13 8.88 2.51 FL_1639 Training 4.75 Alive 9.53 8.89 1.62 FL_1643 Training 0.77 Dead 9.73 9.06 1.58 FL_1644 Validation 3.84 Alive 9.55 8.68 0.98 FL_1645 Training 3.56 Alive 9.49 8.70 1.18 FL_1646 Training 1.97 Dead 9.25 8.61 1.50 FL_1647 Training 1.22 Dead 9.12 8.89 2.55 FL_1648 Training 11.01 Alive 9.13 8.12 0.46 FL_1652 Training 3.72 Dead 9.50 9.14 2.35 FL_1654 Validation 0.30 Dead 8.74 8.28 1.82 FL_1655 Training 8.45 Alive 9.51 8.85 1.53 FL_1656 Validation 9.36 Alive 9.06 8.58 1.87 FL_1657 Training 10.09 Alive 9.53 8.46 0.44 FL_1660 Training 2.32 Alive 8.81 8.38 1.91 FL_1661 Validation 1.48 Alive 9.86 8.90 0.85 FL_1662 Validation 0.74 Dead 9.57 9.15 2.21 FL_1664 Validation 4.53 Dead 9.34 8.62 1.31 FL_1669 Training 4.40 Dead 8.87 8.58 2.30 FL_1670 Training 1.88 Alive 9.64 9.45 2.86 FL_1675 Training 4.57 Alive 9.36 8.46 0.84 FL_1681 Validation 4.23 Alive 9.52 8.63 0.91 FL_1683 Validation 4.03 Dead 9.95 9.10 1.19 FL_1684 Training 2.88 Dead 9.53 8.73 1.18 FL_1716 Validation 9.69 Alive 8.95 8.35 1.50 FL_1717 Validation 2.01 Dead 9.35 8.88 1.98 FL_1718 Training 10.35 Alive 9.23 8.13 0.26 FL_1719 Validation 7.70 Dead 9.13 8.50 1.49 FL_1720 Training 3.91 Dead 8.78 8.88 3.33 FL_1729 Training 8.06 Alive 9.35 8.65 1.39 FL_1732 Validation 0.71 Dead 7.81 8.59 4.86 FL_1761 Validation 10.83 Alive 9.31 8.55 1.22 FL_1764 Training 0.42 Dead 9.25 8.87 2.21 FL_1768 Training 13.04 Alive 9.42 8.47 0.72 FL_1771 Training 9.26 Dead 9.09 8.67 2.06 FL_1772 Validation 13.64 Dead 9.49 8.49 0.61 FL_1788 Training 1.00 Dead 9.09 9.13 3.29 FL_1790 Training 1.42 Alive 9.85 9.40 2.22 FL_1792 Validation 2.01 Dead 9.33 8.72 1.61 FL_1795 Training 0.71 Dead 10.19 9.27 1.08 FL_1797 Validation 7.17 Alive 9.34 8.92 2.14 FL_1799 Training 14.18 Alive 9.32 8.63 1.38 FL_1810 Validation 9.91 Alive 8.66 8.41 2.35 FL_1811 Validation 3.04 Alive 9.38 8.27 0.29 FL_1825 Training 2.98 Alive 9.46 9.07 2.25 FL_1827 Training 3.66 Alive 9.80 8.84 0.83 FL_1828 Validation 11.51 Alive 8.99 8.09 0.72 FL_1829 Validation 4.11 Alive 9.57 8.73 1.08 FL_1830 Validation 5.65 Dead 9.01 8.68 2.25 FL_1833 Training 11.95 Alive 9.74 8.67 0.51 FL_1834 Validation 15.92 Alive 9.22 8.72 1.88 FL_1835 Validation 12.49 Alive 9.26 8.83 2.10 FL_1836 Validation 12.24 Alive 9.55 8.64 0.85 FL_1837 Validation 0.55 Dead 9.47 8.84 1.62 FL_1838 Validation 2.54 Alive 9.90 9.12 1.34 FL_1839 Training 4.48 Alive 8.56 8.32 2.34 FL_1841 Training 0.88 Dead 9.32 9.10 2.66 FL_1842 Validation 4.56 Alive 9.73 8.87 1.07 FL_1844 Validation 13.39 Alive 9.41 8.55 0.98 FL_1845 Training 12.92 Dead 9.89 9.04 1.16 FL_1846 Validation 1.80 Dead 9.79 9.61 2.93 FL_1848 Training 12.52 Alive 9.76 8.81 0.82 FL_1851 Training 4.08 Dead 9.43 9.01 2.18 FL_1853 Validation 12.50 Alive 9.28 8.54 1.25 FL_1854 Validation 13.81 Alive 9.32 8.84 1.98 FL_1855 Validation 9.96 Dead 9.31 8.39 0.75 FL_1857 Validation 8.39 Dead 9.80 9.14 1.65 FL_1861 Validation 3.19 Dead 9.47 8.57 0.88 FL_1862 Validation 7.22 Dead 8.96 8.33 1.44 FL_1863 Validation 10.77 Dead 9.31 8.85 2.00 FL_1864 Training 14.25 Alive 9.98 9.12 1.17 FL_1866 Training 10.72 Dead 9.93 8.94 0.79 FL_1870 Validation 6.41 Dead 10.01 9.22 1.36 FL_1873 Training 7.78 Dead 9.39 8.66 1.30 FL_1874 Validation 3.15 Dead 9.38 8.74 1.53 FL_1876 Validation 15.07 Alive 9.59 8.72 0.98 FL_1879 Training 7.13 Dead 9.25 8.62 1.53 FL_1880 Validation 12.84 Dead 8.82 8.35 1.82 FL_1882 Training 8.84 Dead 9.43 8.76 1.49 FL_1884 Validation 11.92 Dead 9.48 9.14 2.41 FL_1885 Validation 15.49 Alive 9.70 8.85 1.11 FL_1887 Training 5.14 Dead 9.47 8.57 0.87 FL_1888 Training 15.08 Alive 9.83 8.97 1.11 FL_1890 Training 3.03 Dead 9.29 9.05 2.60 FL_1894 Training 11.37 Dead 9.01 8.64 2.13 FL_1896 Training 12.03 Alive 9.80 8.56 0.08 FL_1897 Training 9.63 Alive 9.02 8.33 1.29 FL_1898 Training 5.20 Alive 8.82 8.25 1.54 FL_1900 Validation 7.38 Alive 9.13 8.26 0.85 FL_1903 Validation 28.25 Alive 9.07 8.46 1.54 FL_1904 Validation 7.36 Alive 9.16 8.53 1.50 FL_1905 Validation 3.68 Dead 9.25 8.38 0.87 FL_1906 Training 2.35 Dead 8.04 8.69 4.56 FL_1907 Validation 2.35 Dead 8.11 8.21 3.11 FL_1910 Training 13.84 Alive 9.36 8.72 1.56 FL_1912 Validation 0.73 Dead 9.30 9.21 3.02 FL_1913 Training 2.57 Alive 9.77 8.51 0.01 FL_1916 Validation 11.61 Alive 9.22 8.49 1.24 FL_1918 Validation 9.95 Dead 9.54 8.77 1.26 FL_1919 Training 10.84 Dead 9.51 8.81 1.44 FL_735 Validation 11.05 Dead 8.81 8.23 1.53 FL_738 Validation 10.15 Dead 9.19 8.79 2.13 FL_739 Training 10.80 Dead 9.29 8.77 1.85 FL_878 Validation 3.87 Dead 8.85 8.54 2.26 FL_879 Training 4.34 Dead 8.95 8.74 2.56 FL_886 Validation 3.29 Alive 9.43 8.72 1.40 FL_888 Validation 1.32 Dead 8.76 8.49 2.34 FL_1627 Training NA NA 9.60 8.51 0.40 FL_1429 Training NA NA 8.69 8.28 1.93 FL_1850 Validation NA NA 9.75 8.83 0.92 FL_1735 Validation NA NA 7.32 8.30 5.24

In order to visualize the predictive power of the model, the FL samples were ranked according to their survival predictor scores and divided into four quartiles. Kaplan-Meier plots of overall survival showed clear differences in survival rate in the validation set (FIG. 5). The median survival for each of the four quartiles is set forth in Table 2362.

TABLE 2362 Quartile Median survival (years) 1 13.6 2 11.1 3 10.8 4 3.9

Various clinical variables were found to be significantly associated with survival, including the IPI and some of its components and the presence of B-symptoms. The gene expression-based model was independent of each of these variables at predicting survival. These clinical variables and the relative risk of death associated with each are summarized in Table 2363.

TABLE 2363 Multivariate (clinical Univariate (clinical variable + survival variable only) predictor score) relative risk of death relative risk of death % of % of among patients in among patients in patients¹ patients¹ validation set validation set Clinical Training Validation RR² (95% RR² (95% variable Criteria set set C.I.) p-value C.I.) p-value Age 60 64.5 70.2 1.90 0.044 2.21 (1.48-3.29) <0.001 >60 35.5 29.8 (1.02-3.56) Stage I-II 33.3 25 1.31 0.447 2.31 (1.51-3.52) <0.001 III-IV 66.7 75 (0.65-2.64) Extranodal 2 5.4 20.2 1.58 0.163 2.21 (1.48-3.30) <0.001 sites (#) <2 94.6 79.8 (0.83-2.99) LDH Normal 77.1 66.2 1.77 0.065 2.40 (1.57-3.67) <0.001 Greater 22.9 33.8 (0.97-3.24) than normal ECOG 2 9.4 12.5 2.05 0.090 2.17 (1.40-3.35) <0.001 performance <2 90.6 87.5 (0.89-4.71) status Gender Male 42 65 1.62 0.105 2.17 (1.45-3.25) <0.001 Female 58 35 (0.90-2.90) B-symptoms Present 17.2 21.3 2.05 0.029 2.10 (1.37-3.23) <0.001 Absent 82.8 78.7 (1.08-3.89) Grade³ 1 45 43.4 N/A 0.118 2.55 (1.63-3.99) <0.001 2 34.8 33.3 2.03 (1.04-3.96) 3 20.2 23.3 1.39 (0.65-2.98) Int'l. Scores 63.1 47.5 N/A 0.029 2.28 (1.46-3.57) <0.001 Prognostic 0-1 Index⁴ Scores 33.3 45 2.07 2-3 (1.07-4.00) Scores 3.6 7.5 3.73 4-5  (1.18-11.18) ¹Due to rounding, percentages may not total 100 ²Relative risk of death (RR) based on 2-fold increase in expression ³RR for grades 2 and 3 calculated with respect to risk of death for grade 1. The p-value is calculated for all grades. ⁴RR for scores 2-3 and 4-5 calculated with respect to risk of death for scores 0-1. The p-value is calculated for all grades.

The samples in the validation set were divided into three groups based on their IPI score, and the relationship between survival and IPI score was visualized by Kaplan-Meier plot (FIG. 6). Among validation set samples from the low-risk (IPI 0-1) and intermediate risk (IPI 2-3) IPI groups, the gene-expression-based survival predictor could stratify patients into groups differing by more than 5 years with regards to median survival (FIG. 7). The high-risk IPI group (IPI 4-5) comprised less than 5% of the samples, and was omitted from this analysis. These results demonstrate that the gene expression-based model is not merely acting as a surrogate for clinical variables that are known to predict survival in FL, but rather it identifies distinct biological attributes of the tumors that are associated with survival.

Example 4 Development of a Second FL Survival Predictor Using Gene Expression Data from Affymetrix U133A and U133B Microarrays

191 FL were divided into two equivalent groups: a training set (95 samples) for developing the survival prediction model, and a validation set (96 samples) for evaluating the reproducibility of the model. Gene expression data from Affymetrix U133A and U133B microarrays was obtained for each of the samples. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify survival predictor genes whose expression levels were associated with long survival (good prognosis genes) or short survival (poor prognosis genes) in the training set. The correlation between expression and survival for each gene on the microarrays is provided in the final two columns of Table 1710. The first of these two columns (“FL_Cox_coefficient”) provides a Cox coefficient indicating the extent to which a 2-fold increase in expression of a particular gene affects mortality. A positive Cox coefficient indicates increasing mortality with increasing expression of the gene, while a negative Cox coefficient indicates decreasing mortality with increasing expression of the gene. The second of these two columns provides a Cox p-value indicating the estimated probability that the increase or decrease in survival associated with the gene would occur by chance if there was no connection between the expression of the gene and survival.

A hierarchical clustering algorithm (Eisen 1998) was used to identify gene expression signatures within the good and poor prognosis genes according to their expression pattern across all samples. Eight clusters of coordinately regulated genes were observed within the good prognosis gene set and six clusters were observed in the poor prognosis gene sets. The expression level of every component gene in each of these gene expression signatures was averaged to create a gene expression signature value. After averaging, only ten of the gene expression signatures were found to be significantly associated with survival in the training set (p<0.01). To create a multivariate model of survival, different combinations of these ten gene expression signature averages were generated and evaluated for their ability to predict survival within the training set. Among models consisting of two signatures, an exceptionally strong statistical synergy was noted between one signature from the good prognosis group and one from the poor prognosis group. These gene expression signatures were termed “T-cell” and “macrophage” based on the biological function of certain genes within each signature. The T-cell gene expression signature included genes that were typically expressed in T-cells, while the macrophage gene expression signature included a number of genes typically expressed in macrophages. Although these two signatures taken individually were not the best predictors of survival, the binary model formed by combining the two was more predictive than any combination of three signatures that did not contain these two signatures. Using these two signatures as an anchor, other signatures were added to the model using a step up procedure (Drapner 1966). Only one of the remaining eight signatures, termed the B-cell differentiation signature, contributed significantly to the model in the training set (p=0.054). The B-cell differentiation signature included a number of genes that appear to be involved in B-cell signal transduction. Table 2364 lists the genes that were used to generate the gene expression signature values for the T-cell, macrophage, and B-cell differentiation gene expression signatures.

TABLE 2364 Signature UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Gene symbol B-cell differentiation 1119350 331141 ALDH2 B-cell differentiation 1130922 459987 ANP32B B-cell differentiation 1130923 459987 ANP32B B-cell differentiation 1099291 130774 C9orf105 B-cell differentiation 1102859 446195 FLJ42418 B-cell differentiation 1120976 245644 GCHFR B-cell differentiation 1098862 303669 MGC26694 B-cell differentiation 1111070 202201 B-cell differentiation 1105935 B-cell differentiation 1139017 274424 NANS B-cell differentiation 1108988 3532 NLK B-cell differentiation 1114726 3532 NLK B-cell differentiation 1097897 266175 PAG B-cell differentiation 1097901 266175 PAG B-cell differentiation 1119813 155342 PRKCD B-cell differentiation 1123298 20191 SIAH2 B-cell differentiation 1101439 63335 TERF2 B-cell differentiation 1120316 63335 TERF2 B-cell differentiation 1096035 105794 UGCGL1 T-cell 1134945 81897 KIAA1128 T-cell 1134069 405667 CD8B1 T-cell 1137809 405667 CD8B1 T-cell 1119251 433941 SEPW1 T-cell 1096579 117339 HCST T-cell 1101004 2969 SKI T-cell 1137137 195464 FLNA T-cell 1100871 48353 T-cell 1139461 14770 BIN2 T-cell 1128395 7188 SEMA4C T-cell 1119880 442844 FMOD T-cell 1130676 194431 KIAA0992 T-cell 1130668 194431 KIAA0992 T-cell 1135968 119000 ACTN1 T-cell 1097329 528675 TEAD1 T-cell 1098548 436639 NFIC T-cell 1123038 119000 ACTN1 T-cell 1128356 415792 C1RL T-cell 1133408 12802 DDEF2 T-cell 1140524 10784 C6orf37 T-cell 1119838 469951 GNAQ T-cell 1097255 380144 T-cell 1098152 377588 KIAA1450 T-cell 1115194 270737 TNFSF13B T-cell 1124760 419149 JAM3 T-cell 1120267 256278 TNFRSF1B T-cell 1137289 36972 CD7 T-cell 1137534 36972 CD7 T-cell 1097307 379754 LOC340061 T-cell 1123613 97087 CD3Z T-cell 1121720 80642 STAT4 T-cell 1120196 173802 TBC1D4 T-cell 1136087 211576 ITK T-cell 1132104 173802 TBC1D4 T-cell 1140391 44865 LEF1 T-cell 1098405 362807 IL7R T-cell 1135743 299558 TNFRSF25 T-cell 1136048 299558 TNFRSF25 T-cell 1123875 428 FLT3LG T-cell 1098893 43577 ATP8B2 T-cell 1097561 19221 C20orf112 T-cell 1122956 113987 LGALS2 T-cell 1121406 TNFSF12 T-cell 1125532 T-cell 1138538 2014 TRD T-cell 1103303 49605 C9orf52 T-cell 1119924 32309 INPP1 Macrophage 1123682 114408 TLR5 Macrophage 1099124 355455 SEPT10 Macrophage 1123401 50130 NDN Macrophage 1134379 150833 C4A Macrophage 1137481 150833 C4A Macrophage 1132220 448805 GPRC5B Macrophage 1119400 181046 DUSP3 Macrophage 1131119 349656 SCARB2 Macrophage 1123566 155935 C3AR1 Macrophage 1138443 77424 FCGR1A Macrophage 1127943 9641 C1QA Macrophage 1119998 8986 C1QB Macrophage 1132433 14732 ME1 Macrophage 1119260 18069 LGMN Macrophage 1098278 166017 MITF The three signatures were used to generate a survival predictor score using the following equation: Survival predictor score=[2.053*(macrophage gene expression signature value)]−[2.344*(T-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.729*(B-cell differentiation gene expression signature value)]. A higher survival predictor score was associated with worse outcome. According to a likelihood ratio test adjusted for the number of variables included, this model was significant in predicting survival in both the training set (p=1.8×10⁻⁸) and the validation set (p=2.0×10⁻⁵). For the 187 FL samples with available clinical data, the survival predictor score had a mean of −11.9 and a standard deviation of 0.9418, with each unit increase in the predictor score corresponding to a 2.5 fold increase in the relative risk of death. Data for all 191 samples is shown in Table 2365.

TABLE 2365 B cell differen- tiation T-cell Macrophage Survival Sample signature signature signature predictor ID # Set value value value score FL_1073 Training 9.70 9.14 8.58 −10.89 FL_1074 Training 11.11 9.06 8.52 −11.84 FL_1075 Validation 11.23 8.92 8.75 −11.15 FL_1076 Training 10.02 9.21 8.59 −11.25 FL_1077 Training 9.94 9.77 8.44 −12.82 FL_1078 Training 10.67 9.32 8.21 −12.76 FL_1080 Training 10.62 9.44 8.88 −11.64 FL_1081 Validation 10.38 9.00 8.09 −12.04 FL_1083 Training 10.29 9.77 8.74 −12.47 FL_1085 Validation 9.87 9.24 8.43 −11.55 FL_1086 Validation 10.03 9.50 9.02 −11.06 FL_1087 Training 9.83 9.98 9.37 −11.31 FL_1088 Validation 10.57 9.21 8.29 −12.27 FL_1089 Training 10.30 9.38 8.27 −12.53 FL_1090 Validation 9.74 9.24 8.20 −11.93 FL_1097 Validation 9.57 9.82 8.80 −11.93 FL_1098 Validation 11.08 9.40 8.97 −11.69 FL_1099 Training 10.23 9.70 9.12 −11.46 FL_1102 Validation 9.66 9.46 8.90 −10.93 FL_1104 Training 10.72 9.19 8.20 −12.53 FL_1106 Validation 11.11 9.17 9.57 −9.96 FL_1107 Training 9.70 9.42 9.55 −9.54 FL_1183 Training 9.85 9.25 8.44 −11.54 FL_1184 Training 10.12 9.57 8.86 −11.63 FL_1185 Validation 10.75 9.21 9.13 −10.68 FL_1186 Training 9.76 8.88 8.83 −9.80 FL_1416 Validation 9.94 9.45 8.59 −11.77 FL_1417 Training 10.12 8.53 8.43 −10.08 FL_1418 Validation 9.35 8.86 8.27 −10.59 FL_1419 Training 10.20 9.76 8.53 −12.81 FL_1422 Training 10.22 9.48 8.40 −12.43 FL_1425 Validation 9.61 8.89 8.58 −10.23 FL_1426 Training 10.80 9.06 8.13 −12.41 FL_1427 Training 10.27 8.56 8.13 −10.87 FL_1428 Validation 10.76 9.25 8.38 −12.32 FL_1432 Training 10.51 9.17 9.04 −10.59 FL_1436 Training 9.69 9.40 8.61 −11.42 FL_1440 Training 9.82 9.04 8.21 −11.50 FL_1445 Training 9.24 8.69 8.62 −9.41 FL_1450 Validation 9.70 9.88 10.37 −8.93 FL_1472 Validation 10.78 8.96 8.51 −11.40 FL_1473 Training 9.99 9.70 8.41 −12.75 FL_1474 Validation 10.21 9.27 9.05 −10.59 FL_1476 Validation 9.82 9.44 8.78 −11.27 FL_1477 Training 9.32 9.61 9.03 −10.78 FL_1478 Training 10.19 9.60 8.81 −11.83 FL_1479 Training 10.69 8.78 9.09 −9.71 FL_1480 Training 10.10 9.42 8.70 −11.57 FL_1579 Training 10.15 8.82 8.24 −11.15 FL_1580 Training 10.31 9.59 8.50 −12.54 FL_1581 Training 9.91 8.96 9.05 −9.66 FL_1582 Validation 9.73 8.31 8.06 −10.03 FL_1583 Training 10.95 9.45 8.86 −11.95 FL_1584 Training 9.98 9.38 8.46 −11.89 FL_1585 Validation 10.53 8.88 8.46 −11.11 FL_1586 Validation 10.00 9.30 8.42 −11.81 FL_1588 Training 9.59 9.41 8.94 −10.68 FL_1589 Training 10.29 9.68 8.73 −12.27 FL_1591 Training 10.44 9.45 8.56 −12.18 FL_1594 Validation 10.01 9.25 8.56 −11.41 FL_1595 Training 9.61 9.75 9.65 −10.07 FL_1598 Validation 11.18 8.80 8.31 −11.71 FL_1599 Validation 10.55 9.48 8.60 −12.24 FL_1603 Training 9.40 9.60 9.77 −9.31 FL_1604 Training 9.92 9.21 8.90 −10.54 FL_1606 Validation 9.87 9.45 9.17 −10.52 FL_1607 Validation 9.76 9.37 8.50 −11.63 FL_1608 Validation 9.92 8.90 8.39 −10.85 FL_1610 Validation 10.02 9.38 9.74 −9.30 FL_1611 Validation 10.18 9.41 8.69 −11.64 FL_1616 Training 9.62 9.33 8.85 −10.71 FL_1617 Validation 9.90 8.95 8.39 −10.98 FL_1619 Validation 9.98 9.37 8.47 −11.85 FL_1620 Validation 9.43 8.95 8.12 −11.19 FL_1622 Training 9.84 9.15 8.31 −11.56 FL_1623 Training 9.95 9.61 8.97 −11.37 FL_1624 Validation 10.55 9.06 8.43 −11.61 FL_1625 Validation 10.00 8.89 8.23 −11.22 FL_1626 Validation 11.05 8.62 8.10 −11.62 FL_1628 Validation 10.08 9.81 8.66 −12.57 FL_1637 Validation 9.77 9.95 9.59 −10.76 FL_1638 Validation 10.25 9.20 9.07 −10.41 FL_1639 Training 10.29 9.52 8.99 −11.35 FL_1643 Training 9.80 9.72 9.00 −11.46 FL_1644 Validation 9.51 9.46 8.61 −11.43 FL_1645 Training 9.39 9.46 8.70 −11.15 FL_1646 Training 9.90 9.25 8.52 −11.42 FL_1647 Training 9.51 9.12 8.95 −9.92 FL_1648 Training 10.02 9.18 7.86 −12.67 FL_1652 Training 9.62 9.39 9.19 −10.16 FL_1654 Validation 10.32 8.59 8.10 −11.02 FL_1655 Training 10.12 9.53 8.75 −11.74 FL_1656 Validation 10.54 9.08 8.55 −11.42 FL_1657 Training 10.53 9.53 8.55 −12.46 FL_1660 Training 10.24 8.75 8.27 −10.99 FL_1661 Validation 10.08 9.85 9.00 −11.97 FL_1662 Validation 9.85 9.56 9.49 −10.11 FL_1664 Validation 10.16 9.35 8.48 −11.92 FL_1669 Training 9.48 8.76 8.28 −10.45 FL_1670 Training 9.76 9.66 9.66 −9.92 FL_1675 Training 10.57 9.28 8.41 −12.18 FL_1681 Validation 10.48 9.52 8.66 −12.19 FL_1683 Validation 9.88 9.92 9.07 −11.83 FL_1684 Training 9.64 9.53 8.85 −11.20 FL_1716 Validation 9.90 8.91 8.22 −11.23 FL_1717 Validation 9.87 9.34 8.95 −10.71 FL_1718 Training 10.00 9.21 7.98 −12.49 FL_1719 Validation 9.87 9.06 8.42 −11.14 FL_1720 Training 10.70 8.77 8.92 −10.05 FL_1729 Training 10.50 9.23 8.65 −11.53 FL_1732 Validation 9.91 7.68 8.54 −7.69 FL_1761 Validation 9.81 9.22 8.39 −11.54 FL_1764 Training 9.81 9.24 8.77 −10.80 FL_1768 Training 10.12 9.36 8.50 −11.86 FL_1771 Training 9.92 9.12 8.68 −10.79 FL_1772 Validation 9.72 9.42 8.43 −11.87 FL_1788 Training 9.65 9.05 9.12 −9.51 FL_1790 Training 9.58 9.83 9.48 −10.56 FL_1792 Validation 9.79 9.29 8.67 −11.11 FL_1795 Training 9.58 10.18 9.33 −11.69 FL_1797 Validation 9.93 9.26 8.79 −10.90 FL_1799 Training 10.49 9.28 8.64 −11.65 FL_1810 Validation 10.06 8.55 8.21 −10.52 FL_1811 Validation 9.84 9.37 8.08 −12.56 FL_1825 Training 10.49 9.44 9.03 −11.24 FL_1827 Training 10.06 9.76 8.84 −12.08 FL_1828 Validation 10.55 8.93 7.67 −12.87 FL_1829 Validation 9.85 9.58 8.65 −11.87 FL_1830 Validation 10.80 8.99 8.67 −11.15 FL_1833 Training 10.41 9.83 8.82 −12.52 FL_1834 Validation 10.81 9.25 8.63 −11.85 FL_1835 Validation 9.36 9.25 8.91 −10.21 FL_1836 Validation 10.58 9.58 8.61 −12.50 FL_1837 Validation 10.22 9.47 8.76 −11.68 FL_1838 Validation 10.51 9.89 9.19 −11.98 FL_1839 Training 10.79 8.54 8.19 −11.09 FL_1841 Training 10.32 9.31 9.18 −10.48 FL_1842 Validation 10.36 9.69 8.92 −11.95 FL_1844 Validation 10.92 9.43 8.49 −12.65 FL_1845 Training 9.87 9.87 9.06 −11.73 FL_1846 Validation 9.66 9.81 9.93 −9.63 FL_1848 Training 9.82 9.74 8.70 −12.14 FL_1851 Training 9.89 9.47 9.03 −10.87 FL_1853 Validation 9.96 9.28 8.54 −11.49 FL_1854 Validation 9.97 9.29 8.73 −11.12 FL_1855 Validation 9.95 9.33 8.42 −11.85 FL_1857 Validation 10.35 9.81 9.28 −11.50 FL_1861 Validation 9.73 9.46 8.43 −11.96 FL_1862 Validation 10.42 8.94 8.22 −11.69 FL_1863 Validation 10.79 9.29 8.82 −11.54 FL_1864 Training 9.67 9.97 9.07 −11.80 FL_1866 Training 10.19 9.88 8.89 −12.33 FL_1870 Validation 9.78 10.07 9.30 −11.63 FL_1873 Training 10.09 9.41 8.77 −11.40 FL_1874 Validation 10.05 9.33 8.69 −11.37 FL_1876 Validation 10.15 9.59 8.67 −12.08 FL_1879 Training 9.73 9.21 8.58 −11.06 FL_1880 Validation 10.02 8.79 8.35 −10.77 FL_1882 Training 9.59 9.44 8.80 −11.05 FL_1884 Validation 9.76 9.51 9.26 −10.38 FL_1885 Validation 10.48 9.66 8.75 −12.32 FL_1887 Training 9.98 9.42 8.47 −11.96 FL_1888 Training 9.73 9.83 8.99 −11.67 FL_1890 Training 10.06 9.33 8.98 −10.76 FL_1894 Training 9.85 8.99 8.75 −10.29 FL_1896 Training 10.21 9.80 8.51 −12.94 FL_1897 Training 10.67 8.99 8.26 −11.90 FL_1898 Training 9.59 8.77 8.21 −10.68 FL_1900 Validation 10.12 9.10 8.10 −12.08 FL_1903 Validation 11.08 8.99 8.39 −11.93 FL_1904 Validation 10.20 9.16 8.30 −11.87 FL_1905 Validation 9.73 9.21 8.22 −11.80 FL_1906 Training 9.95 8.15 8.44 −9.01 FL_1907 Validation 10.12 7.95 7.99 −9.62 FL_1910 Training 11.03 9.38 8.74 −12.10 FL_1912 Validation 9.83 9.38 9.36 −9.95 FL_1913 Training 9.81 9.75 8.43 −12.69 FL_1916 Validation 9.83 9.18 8.40 −11.43 FL_1918 Validation 9.86 9.52 8.79 −11.45 FL_1919 Training 9.87 9.53 8.79 −11.48 FL_735 Validation 10.48 8.73 8.23 −11.20 FL_738 Validation 11.05 9.10 8.75 −11.43 FL_739 Training 9.66 9.25 8.74 −10.78 FL_878 Validation 10.61 8.92 8.65 −10.89 FL_879 Training 9.92 8.94 8.78 −10.14 FL_886 Validation 10.16 9.41 8.63 −11.73 FL_888 Validation 9.35 8.76 8.38 −10.15 FL_1627 Training 9.82 9.48 8.49 −11.94 FL_1429 Training 10.06 8.70 8.14 −11.01 FL_1850 Validation 9.58 9.73 8.70 −11.93 FL_1735 Validation 9.60 7.46 8.42 −7.19

In order to visualize the predictive power of the model, the FL samples were ranked according to their survival predictor scores and divided into four quartiles. Kaplan-Meier plots of overall survival showed clear differences in survival rate in the validation set (FIG. 8). The median survival for each of the four quartiles is set forth in Table 2366.

TABLE 2366 Median 5-year 10-year Quartile survival (yrs.) survival survival 1 NR 94% 79% 2 11.6 82% 62% 3 8.8 69% 39% 4 3.9 38% 22%

Example 5 Development of a Third FL Survival Predictor Using Gene Expression Data from the Lymph Dx Microarray

191 FL samples were divided into two equivalent groups: a training set for developing the survival prediction model, and a validation set for evaluating the reproducibility of the model. Gene expression data from the Lymph Dx microarray was obtained for those genes listed in Table 2364, above. This gene expression data was used to calculate gene expression signature values for the macrophage, T-cell, and B-cell differentiation gene expression signatures, and these signature values were used to generate a survival predictor score using the following equation: Survival predictor score=[1.51*(macrophage gene expression signature value)]−[2.11*(T-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.505*(B-cell differentiation gene expression signature value)]. A higher survival predictor score was associated with worse outcome. For the 187 FL samples with available clinical data, the survival predictor score had a mean of −10.1 and a standard deviation of 0.69, with each unit increase in the predictor score corresponding to a 2.7 fold increase in the relative risk of death. Data for all 191 samples is shown in Table 2367.

TABLE 2367 B cell differen- tiation T-cell Macrophage Survival Sample signature signature signature predictor ID # Set value value value score FL_1073 Training 8.26 8.17 7.36 −10.30 FL_1074 Training 9.53 8.12 7.56 −10.53 FL_1075 Validation 9.81 8.00 7.99 −9.77 FL_1076 Training 8.46 8.10 7.62 −9.86 FL_1077 Training 8.45 8.66 7.32 −11.49 FL_1078 Training 9.23 8.32 7.32 −11.18 FL_1080 Training 9.18 8.37 7.86 −10.42 FL_1081 Validation 8.96 8.01 6.94 −10.96 FL_1083 Training 8.72 8.65 7.89 −10.75 FL_1085 Validation 8.34 8.17 7.54 −10.07 FL_1086 Validation 8.50 8.35 7.94 −9.94 FL_1087 Training 8.02 8.88 8.48 −10.00 FL_1088 Validation 9.10 8.15 7.38 −10.65 FL_1089 Training 8.76 8.31 7.35 −10.86 FL_1090 Validation 8.18 8.23 7.43 −10.28 FL_1097 Validation 8.07 8.81 7.90 −10.73 FL_1098 Validation 9.53 8.30 8.09 −10.11 FL_1099 Training 8.44 8.56 8.26 −9.86 FL_1102 Validation 7.92 8.43 7.94 −9.80 FL_1104 Training 9.17 8.07 7.21 −10.78 FL_1106 Validation 9.71 8.15 8.77 −8.85 FL_1107 Training 8.16 8.44 8.60 −8.95 FL_1183 Training 8.49 8.15 7.23 −10.56 FL_1184 Training 8.81 8.49 7.91 −10.43 FL_1185 Validation 9.31 8.19 8.06 −9.80 FL_1186 Training 8.43 7.87 7.83 −9.04 FL_1416 Validation 8.42 8.34 7.63 −10.34 FL_1417 Training 8.65 7.51 7.05 −9.58 FL_1418 Validation 7.96 7.82 7.22 −9.62 FL_1419 Training 8.80 8.71 7.55 −11.43 FL_1422 Training 8.63 8.35 7.39 −10.83 FL_1425 Validation 8.21 7.92 7.62 −9.36 FL_1426 Training 9.39 8.09 7.15 −11.01 FL_1427 Training 8.66 7.51 7.00 −9.65 FL_1428 Validation 9.33 8.18 7.39 −10.81 FL_1432 Training 8.98 8.17 7.93 −9.81 FL_1436 Training 8.04 8.17 7.35 −10.20 FL_1440 Training 8.29 7.82 7.15 −9.89 FL_1445 Training 8.04 7.78 7.63 −8.94 FL_1450 Validation 8.25 8.81 9.52 −8.39 FL_1472 Validation 9.29 7.88 7.33 −10.26 FL_1473 Training 8.49 8.57 7.52 −11.03 FL_1474 Validation 8.59 8.09 8.53 −8.54 FL_1476 Validation 8.25 8.39 7.71 −10.23 FL_1477 Training 7.94 8.57 7.88 −10.21 FL_1478 Training 8.57 8.40 7.88 −10.16 FL_1479 Training 9.15 7.83 7.87 −9.27 FL_1480 Training 8.25 8.38 7.44 −10.63 FL_1579 Training 8.70 7.73 7.43 −9.48 FL_1580 Training 8.86 8.46 7.64 −10.79 FL_1581 Training 8.41 7.89 8.08 −8.69 FL_1582 Validation 8.20 7.42 6.99 −9.24 FL_1583 Training 9.34 8.34 7.94 −10.32 FL_1584 Training 8.50 8.33 7.75 −10.17 FL_1585 Validation 9.08 7.96 7.72 −9.72 FL_1586 Validation 8.52 8.25 7.36 −10.61 FL_1588 Training 7.97 8.35 7.73 −9.98 FL_1589 Training 8.85 8.48 7.76 −10.66 FL_1591 Training 8.92 8.36 7.77 −10.42 FL_1594 Validation 8.54 8.22 7.74 −9.96 FL_1595 Training 8.05 8.82 8.68 −9.57 FL_1598 Validation 9.74 7.81 6.97 −10.88 FL_1599 Validation 9.13 8.42 7.69 −10.77 FL_1603 Training 7.97 8.66 8.90 −8.86 FL_1604 Training 8.47 8.14 7.75 −9.75 FL_1606 Validation 8.34 8.32 8.11 −9.51 FL_1607 Validation 8.33 8.30 7.39 −10.57 FL_1608 Validation 8.35 7.88 6.98 −10.31 FL_1610 Validation 8.48 8.35 8.86 −8.52 FL_1611 Validation 8.54 8.33 7.64 −10.37 FL_1616 Training 8.03 8.39 7.67 −10.18 FL_1617 Validation 8.30 7.85 7.52 −9.40 FL_1619 Validation 8.53 8.31 7.64 −10.32 FL_1620 Validation 8.09 7.99 7.17 −10.11 FL_1622 Training 8.14 8.10 7.36 −10.09 FL_1623 Training 8.45 8.52 8.15 −9.93 FL_1624 Validation 9.13 8.12 7.46 −10.49 FL_1625 Validation 8.53 7.94 7.17 −10.23 FL_1626 Validation 9.63 7.67 7.17 −10.22 FL_1628 Validation 8.63 8.76 7.95 −10.86 FL_1637 Validation 8.07 8.81 8.79 −9.38 FL_1638 Validation 8.52 8.18 8.19 −9.18 FL_1639 Training 8.70 8.33 7.89 −10.06 FL_1643 Training 8.26 8.62 8.01 −10.26 FL_1644 Validation 8.28 8.33 7.77 −10.02 FL_1645 Training 7.84 8.32 7.68 −9.91 FL_1646 Training 8.40 8.26 7.71 −10.01 FL_1647 Training 8.10 8.04 7.92 −9.10 FL_1648 Training 8.33 8.08 6.87 −10.90 FL_1652 Training 8.15 8.33 8.37 −9.07 FL_1654 Validation 8.67 7.62 7.03 −9.85 FL_1655 Training 8.53 8.41 7.75 −10.36 FL_1656 Validation 9.09 8.09 7.62 −10.16 FL_1657 Training 8.95 8.44 7.58 −10.89 FL_1660 Training 8.82 7.79 7.26 −9.93 FL_1661 Validation 8.56 8.79 8.17 −10.53 FL_1662 Validation 8.30 8.47 8.69 −8.93 FL_1664 Validation 8.62 8.23 7.56 −10.31 FL_1669 Training 7.89 7.67 7.39 −9.02 FL_1670 Training 8.01 8.54 8.64 −9.03 FL_1675 Training 9.00 8.21 7.36 −10.76 FL_1681 Validation 8.83 8.39 7.59 −10.72 FL_1683 Validation 8.14 8.85 7.97 −10.74 FL_1684 Training 7.99 8.42 7.84 −9.97 FL_1716 Validation 8.28 7.90 7.26 −9.88 FL_1717 Validation 8.27 8.21 7.89 −9.60 FL_1718 Training 8.50 8.17 7.15 −10.75 FL_1719 Validation 8.35 8.02 7.21 −10.26 FL_1720 Training 9.03 7.65 8.01 −8.61 FL_1729 Training 8.97 8.27 7.69 −10.37 FL_1732 Validation 8.49 6.82 7.71 −7.02 FL_1761 Validation 8.36 8.19 7.29 −10.49 FL_1764 Training 8.52 8.24 7.94 −9.69 FL_1768 Training 8.70 8.25 7.63 −10.28 FL_1771 Training 8.55 8.19 7.65 −10.04 FL_1772 Validation 8.30 8.38 7.41 −10.71 FL_1788 Training 8.14 8.06 8.11 −8.87 FL_1790 Training 7.95 8.69 8.36 −9.74 FL_1792 Validation 8.16 8.20 7.64 −9.88 FL_1795 Training 7.94 9.08 8.37 −10.54 FL_1797 Validation 8.17 8.21 7.87 −9.57 FL_1799 Training 9.02 8.21 7.77 −10.14 FL_1810 Validation 8.43 7.52 7.06 −9.47 FL_1811 Validation 8.33 8.24 7.07 −10.93 FL_1825 Training 8.90 8.39 7.97 −10.18 FL_1827 Training 8.47 8.77 7.96 −10.76 FL_1828 Validation 9.13 7.87 6.76 −11.01 FL_1829 Validation 8.34 8.51 7.59 −10.71 FL_1830 Validation 9.26 8.04 7.62 −10.13 FL_1833 Training 8.82 8.86 7.88 −11.26 FL_1834 Validation 9.25 8.17 7.62 −10.39 FL_1835 Validation 7.71 8.16 8.01 −9.02 FL_1836 Validation 9.06 8.52 7.59 −11.09 FL_1837 Validation 8.57 8.33 7.37 −10.79 FL_1838 Validation 8.78 8.72 8.04 −10.69 FL_1839 Training 9.27 7.36 7.37 −9.08 FL_1841 Training 8.66 8.35 8.17 −9.64 FL_1842 Validation 8.62 8.50 8.02 −10.19 FL_1844 Validation 9.37 8.40 7.47 −11.18 FL_1845 Training 8.33 8.84 8.30 −10.32 FL_1846 Validation 8.11 8.75 9.06 −8.89 FL_1848 Training 8.19 8.60 7.91 −10.33 FL_1851 Training 8.37 8.50 8.15 −9.84 FL_1853 Validation 8.37 8.14 7.43 −10.19 FL_1854 Validation 8.50 8.29 7.96 −9.78 FL_1855 Validation 8.63 8.34 7.54 −10.58 FL_1857 Validation 8.73 8.82 8.45 −10.26 FL_1861 Validation 8.21 8.50 7.50 −10.77 FL_1862 Validation 8.98 7.96 7.31 −10.28 FL_1863 Validation 9.30 8.22 7.86 −10.18 FL_1864 Training 8.13 8.93 8.27 −10.46 FL_1866 Training 8.62 8.78 7.91 −10.93 FL_1870 Validation 8.16 8.97 8.52 −10.18 FL_1873 Training 8.55 8.30 8.00 −9.74 FL_1874 Validation 8.43 8.20 7.59 −10.10 FL_1876 Validation 8.48 8.52 7.70 −10.64 FL_1879 Training 8.29 8.21 7.66 −9.94 FL_1880 Validation 8.56 7.76 7.34 −9.61 FL_1882 Training 8.02 8.40 7.71 −10.14 FL_1884 Validation 8.14 8.46 8.42 −9.24 FL_1885 Validation 8.88 8.57 7.78 −10.81 FL_1887 Training 8.38 8.39 7.38 −10.78 FL_1888 Training 8.14 8.74 8.07 −10.37 FL_1890 Training 8.45 8.24 8.11 −9.41 FL_1894 Training 8.38 7.97 7.82 −9.25 FL_1896 Training 8.63 8.71 7.52 −11.37 FL_1897 Training 9.01 7.91 6.93 −10.78 FL_1898 Training 8.08 7.75 7.09 −9.74 FL_1900 Validation 8.61 7.94 6.84 −10.77 FL_1903 Validation 9.63 7.96 7.30 −10.64 FL_1904 Validation 8.79 8.14 7.15 −10.82 FL_1905 Validation 8.22 8.24 7.36 −10.43 FL_1906 Training 8.40 7.40 7.24 −8.93 FL_1907 Validation 8.61 7.11 6.59 −9.40 FL_1910 Training 9.47 8.28 7.63 −10.73 FL_1912 Validation 8.32 8.45 8.52 −9.18 FL_1913 Training 8.24 8.60 7.23 −11.41 FL_1916 Validation 8.31 8.04 7.27 −10.19 FL_1918 Validation 8.30 8.49 7.78 −10.37 FL_1919 Training 8.05 8.42 8.00 −9.75 FL_735 Validation 9.03 7.83 7.41 −9.88 FL_738 Validation 9.54 8.07 7.65 −10.30 FL_739 Training 8.14 8.09 7.69 −9.57 FL_878 Validation 9.17 7.91 7.70 −9.69 FL_879 Training 8.37 7.96 7.67 −9.45 FL_886 Validation 8.59 8.38 7.67 −10.44 FL_888 Validation 7.85 7.71 7.07 −9.56 FL_1627 Training 8.26 8.17 7.36 −10.30 FL_1429 Training 9.53 8.12 7.56 −10.53 FL_1850 Validation 9.81 8.00 7.99 −9.77 FL_1735 Validation 8.46 8.10 7.62 −9.86

In order to visualize the predictive power of the model, the FL samples were ranked according to their survival predictor scores and divided into four quartiles. Kaplan-Meier plots of overall survival showed clear differences in survival rate in the validation set (FIG. 9).

Example 6 Development of a First DLBCL Survival Predictor Using Gene Expression Data from Affymetrix U133A and U133B Microarrays

Gene expression data from Affymetrix U133A and U133B microarrays was obtained for 231 DLBCL samples. The follow-up time and status at follow-up for each of the subjects from whom these samples were acquired is listed in Table 2368. Table 2368 also indicates which samples were used in creating the survival predictor.

TABLE 2368 Length of follow- Status at Used in creating Sample ID # up (years) follow-up survival predictor? ABC_1000 0.69 Dead Yes ABC_1002 0.28 Dead Yes ABC_1023 5.57 Dead Yes ABC_1027 0.25 Dead Yes ABC_1031 6.64 Dead Yes ABC_1034 2.31 Dead Yes ABC_1038 0.71 Dead Yes ABC_1043 2.31 Dead Yes ABC_1045 2.26 Dead Yes ABC_1055 7.81 Alive Yes ABC_1057 2.13 Dead Yes ABC_1059 2.00 Dead Yes ABC_1061 1.04 Dead Yes ABC_1946 0.68 Dead No ABC_1994 1.21 Dead No ABC_2001 1.32 Dead No ABC_304 1.31 Dead Yes ABC_305 0.82 Alive Yes ABC_309 2.80 Alive Yes ABC_413 0.60 Dead Yes ABC_428 11.38 Alive Yes ABC_432 0.38 Dead Yes ABC_446 2.82 Dead Yes ABC_462 7.49 Dead Yes ABC_477 1.70 Dead Yes ABC_481 10.75 Alive Yes ABC_482 7.72 Alive Yes ABC_538 0.34 Dead Yes ABC_541 4.11 Alive Yes ABC_544 1.31 Dead Yes ABC_547 0.05 Dead Yes ABC_577 1.65 Alive Yes ABC_616 0.99 Dead Yes ABC_626 2.49 Dead Yes ABC_633 2.02 Alive Yes ABC_642 0.34 Dead Yes ABC_644 0.31 Dead Yes ABC_645 6.08 Dead Yes ABC_646 2.59 Dead Yes ABC_651 2.34 Alive Yes ABC_652 0.01 Dead Yes ABC_660 0.20 Dead Yes ABC_663 0.62 Dead Yes ABC_668 6.44 Alive Yes ABC_676 1.00 Dead Yes ABC_678 0.06 Dead Yes ABC_687 0.94 Dead Yes ABC_689 2.54 Dead Yes ABC_692 10.53 Alive Yes ABC_694 4.83 Alive Yes ABC_700 5.40 Dead Yes ABC_702 4.13 Dead Yes ABC_704 9.67 Alive Yes ABC_709 0.47 Dead Yes ABC_712 3.26 Dead Yes ABC_714 2.45 Dead Yes ABC_717 0.42 Dead Yes ABC_725 0.96 Dead Yes ABC_726 7.62 Alive Yes ABC_730 1.03 Dead Yes ABC_753 0.04 Dead Yes ABC_756 7.21 Alive Yes ABC_771 6.80 Dead Yes ABC_779 0.35 Dead Yes ABC_800 0.33 Dead Yes ABC_807 0.31 Dead Yes ABC_809 0.51 Dead Yes ABC_816 1.86 Dead Yes ABC_820 1.59 Dead Yes ABC_823 0.16 Dead Yes ABC_835 1.22 Dead Yes ABC_839 0.29 Dead Yes ABC_841 10.14 Alive Yes ABC_858 3.58 Dead Yes ABC_872 5.00 Alive Yes ABC_875 8.45 Alive Yes ABC_912 16.79 Alive Yes ABC_996 0.21 Dead Yes GCB_1005 5.77 Alive Yes GCB_1008 6.46 Alive Yes GCB_1009 9.68 Alive Yes GCB_1021 14.59 Alive Yes GCB_1025 2.86 Dead Yes GCB_1026 6.94 Dead Yes GCB_1037 0.23 Dead Yes GCB_1039 2.05 Dead Yes GCB_1049 1.33 Dead Yes GCB_1051 0.12 Dead Yes GCB_1058 0.42 Dead Yes GCB_1060 6.45 Alive Yes GCB_1990 0.06 Dead No GCB_1991 1.01 Dead No GCB_2017 0.08 Dead No GCB_2018 0.17 Dead No GCB_2095 0.97 Alive No GCB_412 12.12 Alive Yes GCB_415 5.38 Dead Yes GCB_421 1.24 Dead Yes GCB_424 10.62 Dead Yes GCB_433 0.76 Dead Yes GCB_434 10.53 Alive Yes GCB_438 8.15 Alive Yes GCB_459 9.65 Alive Yes GCB_470 11.17 Alive Yes GCB_479 7.24 Alive Yes GCB_492 11.29 Alive Yes GCB_517 3.03 Dead Yes GCB_523 8.36 Alive Yes GCB_524 5.88 Alive Yes GCB_529 1.06 Dead Yes GCB_533 0.71 Dead Yes GCB_537 4.99 Dead Yes GCB_543 3.47 Alive Yes GCB_545 1.10 Dead Yes GCB_549 2.68 Dead Yes GCB_550 21.78 Alive Yes GCB_553 0.82 Dead Yes GCB_565 9.11 Dead Yes GCB_572 14.24 Alive Yes GCB_617 5.88 Alive Yes GCB_618 5.65 Alive Yes GCB_619 8.76 Alive Yes GCB_623 2.43 Alive Yes GCB_627 1.27 Dead Yes GCB_654 7.37 Alive Yes GCB_661 0.56 Alive Yes GCB_669 7.11 Alive Yes GCB_672 6.78 Alive Yes GCB_674 7.22 Alive Yes GCB_675 6.02 Alive Yes GCB_681 9.70 Alive Yes GCB_688 0.33 Dead Yes GCB_695 0.15 Dead Yes GCB_698 3.88 Alive Yes GCB_701 3.90 Alive Yes GCB_710 1.08 Dead Yes GCB_711 3.93 Dead Yes GCB_722 3.32 Alive Yes GCB_724 1.40 Dead Yes GCB_731 10.18 Alive Yes GCB_742 4.09 Alive Yes GCB_744 8.86 Alive Yes GCB_745 1.33 Dead Yes GCB_747 15.41 Alive Yes GCB_749 10.40 Alive Yes GCB_758 1.10 Dead Yes GCB_772 2.48 Alive Yes GCB_777 4.27 Dead Yes GCB_792 5.53 Alive Yes GCB_795 3.43 Alive Yes GCB_797 6.87 Dead Yes GCB_803 1.45 Dead Yes GCB_810 11.72 Alive Yes GCB_817 2.76 Dead Yes GCB_818 0.10 Dead Yes GCB_819 0.72 Dead Yes GCB_821 9.47 Alive Yes GCB_832 4.01 Alive Yes GCB_836 4.29 Alive Yes GCB_840 3.40 Alive Yes GCB_847 4.16 Alive Yes GCB_860 3.03 Dead Yes GCB_871 0.41 Dead Yes GCB_874 0.12 Dead Yes GCB_995 6.65 Alive Yes PMBL_1006 7.12 Alive Yes PMBL_1024 19.83 Alive Yes PMBL_1048 7.70 Alive Yes PMBL_1053 1.04 Dead Yes PMBL_1920 1.97 Alive No PMBL_1921 4.16 Alive No PMBL_1923 1.60 Alive No PMBL_1924 6.11 Alive No PMBL_1935 12.42 Alive No PMBL_1941 0.71 Alive No PMBL_1942 0.88 Alive No PMBL_1943 8.96 Alive No PMBL_1945 0.84 Dead No PMBL_1948 7.96 Alive No PMBL_1949 4.28 Alive No PMBL_1989 1.33 Dead No PMBL_1992 1.00 Dead No PMBL_1993 1.33 Dead No PMBL_2002 6.62 Alive No PMBL_2019 0.99 Dead No PMBL_2020 2.08 Alive No PMBL_2092 1.27 Alive No PMBL_484 1.40 Dead Yes PMBL_546 0.78 Dead Yes PMBL_570 14.40 Alive Yes PMBL_621 8.14 Alive Yes PMBL_638 0.70 Dead Yes PMBL_691 0.32 Dead Yes PMBL_791 1.33 Dead Yes PMBL_824 12.24 Alive Yes PMBL_906 16.80 Alive Yes PMBL_994 4.79 Alive Yes PMBL_998 9.11 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_1001 0.33 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_1004 6.72 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_1007 2.26 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_1018 0.03 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_1041 3.13 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_1054 12.34 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_306 2.69 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_310 0.97 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_449 9.16 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_452 9.17 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_458 1.18 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_460 9.02 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_491 4.47 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_528 1.64 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_615 4.94 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_625 5.24 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_664 0.62 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_671 3.35 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_682 0.11 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_683 7.42 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_684 1.92 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_748 1.01 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_751 9.99 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_808 0.37 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_831 11.02 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_834 1.64 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_838 0.00 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_851 0.05 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_854 1.51 Dead Yes UC_DLBCL_855 1.67 Alive Yes UC_DLBCL_856 0.60 Dead Yes

The correlation between expression of each gene represented on the microarrays and survival was estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model. The results of this survival analysis are provided in the final two columns of Table 1723. The first of these two columns (“DLBCL_Cox_coefficient”) provides a Cox coefficient indicating the extent to which a 2-fold increase in expression of a particular gene affects mortality. A positive Cox coefficient indicates increasing mortality with increasing expression of the gene, while a negative Cox coefficient indicates decreasing mortality with increasing expression of the gene. The second of these two columns (“DLBCL_Cox_P_value”) provides a Cox p-value indicating the estimated probability that the increase or decrease in survival associated with the gene would occur by chance if there was no connection between the expression of the gene and survival.

Genes that were significantly correlated with survival (p<0.001) were grouped into gene expression signatures using a hierarchical clustering algorithm. The expression level of every component gene in each of these gene expression signatures was averaged for each sample to create a gene expression signature value. A step-up procedure (Drapner 1966) was applied to determine the optimal number of gene signatures to use in the survival predictor model. First, the gene expression signature that was most significantly associated with survival was included in the model. Next, the gene expression signature with the second highest association with survival was added to the model to form a two-component model. This procedure was repeated until there was no gene expression signature to add to the model with a p-value of <0.05.

The final prediction model incorporated gene expression signature values from three gene expression signatures. The first gene expression signature added to the model was termed “ABC DLBCL high,” because it included genes that were more highly expressed in ABC than in GCB (Rosenwald 2002). The second gene expression signature added to the model was termed “lymph node,” because it reflected the response of non-tumor cells in the lymph node to the malignant lymphoma cells. The final gene expression signature added to the model was termed “MHC class II,” because it included all of the genes encoding the MHC class II alpha and beta chains. Table 2369 shows the genes that were averaged to form each of these signatures.

TABLE 2369 Signature UNIQID Gene symbol Survival p-value ABC DLBCL high 1134271 POU5F1 3.09E−05 ABC DLBCL high 1121564 DRIL1 4.06E−05 ABC DLBCL high 1119889 PDCD4 7.28E−05 ABC DLBCL high 1133300 CTH 1.23E−04 ABC DLBCL high 1106030 MGC: 50789 1.70E−04 ABC DLBCL high 1139301 FLJ20150 4.49E−04 ABC DLBCL high 1122131 CHST7 5.18E−04 ABC DLBCL high 1114824 LIMD1 5.20E−04 ABC DLBCL high 1100161 LOC142678 6.24E−04 ABC DLBCL high 1120129 TLE1 6.95E−04 Lymph node 1097126 TEM8 5.14E−09 Lymph node 1120880 LTBP2 9.80E−07 Lymph node 1098898 FLJ31066 1.09E−06 Lymph node 1123376 RARRES2 1.68E−06 Lymph node 1128945 SLC12A8 2.90E−06 Lymph node 1130994 DPYSL3 3.37E−06 Lymph node 1124429 SULF1 3.53E−06 Lymph node 1099358 FLJ39971 4.09E−06 Lymph node 1130509 SPARC 6.23E−06 Lymph node 1095985 TMEPAI 7.07E−06 Lymph node 1123038 ACTN1 7.90E−06 Lymph node 1133700 CDH11 8.20E−06 Lymph node 1122101 TFEC 9.66E−06 Lymph node 1124296 SDC2 9.99E−06 MHC Class II 1123127 HLA-DRA 1.21E−06 MHC Class II 1136777 HLA-DQA1 3.45E−06 MHC Class II 1137771 HLA-DRB1 3.95E−06 MHC Class II 1134281 HLA-DRB4 2.70E−05 MHC Class II 1136573 HLA-DPA1 2.92E−05 MHC Class II 1132710 HLA-DRB3 7.09E−05

Fitting the Cox proportional hazards model to the three gene expression signature values resulted in the following model: Survival predictor score=[0.586*(ABC DLBCL high gene expression signature value)]−[0.468*(lymph node gene expression signature value)]−[0.336*(MHC Class II gene expression signature value)]. A higher survival predictor score was associated with worse outcome. According to a likelihood ratio test adjusted for the number of variables included, this model was significant in predicting survival at p=2.13×10⁻¹³. In order to visualize the predictive power of the model, the 205 samples used to create the model were ranked according to their survival predictor scores and divided into four quartiles. Kaplan-Meier plots of overall survival probability show clear differences in survival rate between these four quartiles (FIG. 10). The five-year survival probabilities for each quartile are set forth in Table 2370.

TABLE 2370 Quartile 5-year survival 1 83% 2 59% 3 33% 4 17%

Example 7 Development of a Second DLBCL Survival Predictor Using Gene Expression Data from the Lymph Dx Microarray

A DLBCL survival model based on gene expression had been developed previously using proliferation, germinal center B-cell, lymph node, and MHC class II gene expression signatures and the expression of the single gene BMP-6 (Rosenwald 2002). BMP-6 expression was poorly measured on the Lymph Dx microarray, but genes associated with each of these four gene expression signatures exhibited associations with survival similar to those observed using Lymphochip microarrays. DLBCL samples were divided into two groups: a training set (100 samples) for developing the survival prediction model, and a validation set (100 samples) for evaluating the reproducibility of the model. Gene expressed in the training set samples were clustered, and lymph node, germinal center B-cell, MHC class II, and proliferation gene expression signatures were identified. Within each signature, expression of genes that were associated with survival (p<0.01) was averaged to generate a gene expression signature value for each signature. Table 2371 lists the genes that were used to generate the gene expression signature value for each signature.

TABLE 2371 Signature UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Gene symbol Germinal center B-cell 1099686 117721 Germinal center B-cell 1099711 243596 Germinal center B-cell 1103390 271752 BPNT1 Germinal center B-cell 1106025 49500 KIAA0746 Germinal center B-cell 1128287 300063 ASB13 Germinal center B-cell 1132520 283063 LMO2 Germinal center B-cell 1138192 126608 NR3C1 Germinal center B-cell 1529318 291954 Germinal center B-cell 1529344 317970 SERPINA11 Germinal center B-cell 1529352 446195 Germinal center B-cell 1096570 409813 ANUBL1 Germinal center B-cell 1097897 266175 PAG Germinal center B-cell 1097901 266175 PAG Germinal center B-cell 1098611 433611 PDK1 Germinal center B-cell 1100581 155024 BCL6 Germinal center B-cell 1115034 387222 NEK6 Germinal center B-cell 1120090 155024 BCL6 Germinal center B-cell 1120946 25209 MAPK10 Germinal center B-cell 1121248 54089 BARD1 Germinal center B-cell 1123105 434281 PTK2 Germinal center B-cell 1125456 300592 MYBL1 Germinal center B-cell 1128694 171466 ELL3 Germinal center B-cell 1128787 114611 C7orf10 Germinal center B-cell 1132122 307734 MME Germinal center B-cell 1136269 101474 MAST2 Germinal center B-cell 1136702 155584 KIAA0121 Germinal center B-cell 1139230 29724 PLEKHF2 Germinal center B-cell 1529292 NA Germinal center B-cell 1529295 116441 Lymph node 1097126 274520 ANTXR1 Lymph node 1099028 334838 FNDC1 Lymph node 1099358 93135 Lymph node 1101478 146246 MGC45780 Lymph node 1103497 50115 Lymph node 1121029 412999 CSTA Lymph node 1124429 409602 SULF1 Lymph node 1135068 71719 PDLIM3 Lymph node 1136051 520937 CSF2RA Lymph node 1136172 38084 SULT1C1 MHC class II 1136777 387679 HLA-DQA1 MHC class II 1136877 409934 HLA-DQB1 Proliferation 1096903 437460 FLJ10385 Proliferation 1120583 153768 RNU3IP2 Proliferation 1123289 5409 POLR1C Proliferation 1131808 75447 RALBP1 Proliferation 1133102 360041 FRDA Proliferation 1136595 404814 VDAC1

Table 2372 lists p-values for the association of each signature with survival in the training set, the validation set, and overall.

TABLE 2372 Signature Training set Validation set Overall Lymph node 4.0 × 10⁻⁵ 2.3 × 10⁻⁶  6.8 × 10⁻¹⁰ Proliferation 8.1 × 10⁻⁵ 3.4 × 10⁻³ 2.1 × 10⁻⁶ Germinal center B-cell 6.2 × 10⁻⁶ 2.1 × 10⁻³ 5.0 × 10⁻⁸ MHC class II 2.4 × 10⁻² 2.7 × 10⁻³ 3.1 × 10⁻⁴

The four gene expression signatures were used to generate a survival predictor score using the following equation: Survival predictor score=[−0.4337*(lymph node gene expression signature value)]+[0.09*(proliferation gene expression signature value)]−[0.4144*(germinal center B-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.2006*(MHC class II gene expression signature value)]. A higher survival predictor score was associated with worse outcome. For the 200 DLBCL samples used to generate the model, the survival predictor score had a mean of 5.7 and a standard deviation of 0.78, with each unit increase in the predictor score corresponding to an approximately 2.7 fold increase in the relative risk of death. Data for all 200 samples is presented in Table 2373.

TABLE 2373 Germinal Lymph center B- MHC node Proliferation cell class II Survival signature signature signature signature predictor Sample ID # Set value value value value score ABC_1000 Validation 6.50 8.92 7.60 11.50 −5.08 ABC_1002 Validation 7.00 8.58 7.27 12.54 −5.50 ABC_1023 Validation 7.43 8.99 6.80 11.42 −5.05 ABC_1027 Training 5.68 9.00 6.87 12.31 −4.70 ABC_1031 Validation 8.02 9.00 7.17 11.68 −5.53 ABC_1034 Validation 6.06 9.61 6.72 11.83 −4.58 ABC_1038 Training 6.83 8.97 7.17 12.30 −5.23 ABC_1043 Training 6.96 9.01 6.77 12.29 −5.11 ABC_1045 Validation 8.18 8.21 6.77 12.07 −5.66 ABC_1055 Validation 5.58 9.16 7.30 13.05 −4.76 ABC_1057 Training 7.33 8.94 7.74 12.05 −5.53 ABC_1059 Validation 9.02 8.46 7.15 11.35 −6.08 ABC_1061 Training 7.13 9.18 7.09 12.28 −5.21 ABC_304 Validation 5.92 8.80 6.76 12.76 −4.84 ABC_305 Training 5.92 8.74 7.50 11.89 −4.91 ABC_309 Validation 8.86 8.39 7.62 12.53 −6.46 ABC_413 Validation 6.45 9.32 6.55 9.04 −4.16 ABC_428 Training 7.52 9.19 7.98 10.25 −5.51 ABC_432 Validation 6.48 9.33 7.45 9.56 −4.56 ABC_446 Training 7.91 9.42 7.41 10.55 −5.46 ABC_462 Validation 6.41 8.85 6.67 13.36 −5.03 ABC_477 Validation 6.26 9.02 6.69 12.45 −4.89 ABC_481 Training 8.18 8.30 7.35 11.98 −5.91 ABC_482 Training 8.59 9.01 7.66 12.35 −6.16 ABC_538 Validation 8.06 8.84 7.17 11.83 −5.69 ABC_541 Training 6.14 8.52 7.42 10.59 −4.71 ABC_544 Training 6.91 9.03 6.82 11.87 −4.89 ABC_547 Validation 5.80 8.96 7.14 11.38 −4.60 ABC_577 Validation 7.84 8.65 8.16 11.95 −5.94 ABC_616 Validation 6.03 9.05 7.36 12.64 −4.84 ABC_626 Validation 7.48 9.22 7.25 11.11 −5.27 ABC_633 Training 7.74 8.35 7.39 12.45 −5.80 ABC_642 Training 5.71 8.82 6.41 13.80 −4.62 ABC_644 Validation 6.64 9.15 7.05 13.28 −5.20 ABC_645 Training 8.44 8.81 7.93 13.39 −6.43 ABC_646 Validation 5.94 9.11 6.71 11.60 −4.63 ABC_652 Validation 5.87 8.85 6.88 12.73 −4.77 ABC_660 Training 5.19 9.34 6.64 10.17 −3.86 ABC_663 Training 5.69 9.02 7.33 12.82 −4.91 ABC_668 Validation 7.12 9.28 7.03 10.57 −4.91 ABC_676 Training 4.95 8.90 7.09 13.32 −4.61 ABC_678 Training 5.84 9.11 7.34 11.26 −4.41 ABC_687 Validation 5.15 9.89 6.56 10.46 −3.76 ABC_689 Training 6.49 8.86 7.10 12.56 −4.88 ABC_692 Validation 7.32 8.96 7.25 11.57 −5.32 ABC_694 Validation 8.28 9.21 8.01 12.41 −6.23 ABC_700 Training 7.29 8.97 7.55 12.10 −5.48 ABC_702 Validation 7.60 8.66 6.86 12.55 −5.45 ABC_704 Training 7.07 8.92 7.03 12.83 −5.35 ABC_709 Validation 5.92 8.58 6.37 13.40 −4.66 ABC_712 Validation 5.79 9.12 6.34 12.02 −4.23 ABC_714 Training 7.49 8.88 7.49 11.97 −5.54 ABC_717 Training 7.17 9.45 7.01 11.34 −5.05 ABC_725 Training 6.71 9.01 6.52 12.76 −4.86 ABC_726 Validation 6.91 8.72 6.71 11.91 −4.90 ABC_730 Validation 6.28 9.22 7.28 12.14 −4.88 ABC_753 Training 6.84 9.64 7.05 13.00 −5.22 ABC_756 Training 7.67 8.45 7.59 12.48 −5.85 ABC_771 Training 6.98 8.76 6.91 12.20 −5.18 ABC_779 Training 6.73 9.32 6.78 9.82 −4.44 ABC_800 Validation 8.75 8.31 7.45 11.91 −6.04 ABC_807 Training 5.50 9.53 6.92 7.56 −3.79 ABC_809 Training 7.40 8.70 7.68 10.83 −5.50 ABC_816 Training 5.20 9.91 7.65 10.64 −4.14 ABC_820 Training 6.71 8.94 6.55 11.98 −4.85 ABC_823 Validation 5.58 9.26 6.44 10.09 −3.97 ABC_835 Validation 6.95 8.68 8.04 12.31 −5.59 ABC_839 Training 6.63 9.17 7.23 11.89 −5.04 ABC_841 Validation 6.35 9.51 7.52 13.19 −5.28 ABC_858 Training 7.63 8.51 7.12 11.74 −5.42 ABC_872 Training 6.78 8.73 7.41 12.47 −5.44 ABC_875 Training 7.59 8.81 7.20 11.26 −5.25 ABC_912 Validation 7.01 8.55 7.45 12.79 −5.64 ABC_996 Validation 5.00 9.53 6.70 10.02 −3.94 GCB_1005 Validation 8.28 8.67 9.11 13.27 −6.98 GCB_1008 Training 8.17 8.59 9.83 12.83 −7.06 GCB_1009 Training 6.63 9.02 10.07 12.28 −6.19 GCB_1021 Validation 6.44 8.83 9.34 13.20 −6.15 GCB_1025 Validation 7.87 8.48 9.27 12.37 −6.57 GCB_1026 Training 7.71 8.30 9.81 13.52 −6.85 GCB_1037 Training 4.95 8.83 9.35 12.57 −5.22 GCB_1039 Training 7.63 8.65 9.01 13.28 −6.47 GCB_1049 Validation 8.54 8.61 8.12 12.60 −6.41 GCB_1051 Validation 6.26 9.09 9.48 12.76 −5.97 GCB_1058 Validation 7.12 8.89 8.34 12.80 −5.85 GCB_1060 Validation 8.27 8.84 8.94 12.96 −6.75 GCB_412 Training 7.22 8.33 8.50 13.09 −6.09 GCB_415 Training 9.01 8.62 8.38 11.99 −6.47 GCB_421 Training 7.59 7.89 7.49 12.20 −5.80 GCB_424 Training 9.29 8.42 8.51 12.44 −6.79 GCB_433 Training 8.45 8.34 8.02 12.64 −6.54 GCB_434 Training 8.46 8.55 9.17 12.54 −6.98 GCB_438 Validation 8.14 8.71 9.13 12.51 −6.67 GCB_459 Validation 8.98 8.39 8.42 11.37 −6.49 GCB_470 Validation 7.72 8.57 8.67 12.23 −6.12 GCB_479 Validation 6.86 8.25 7.13 13.07 −5.35 GCB_492 Training 8.01 8.61 9.51 12.34 −6.63 GCB_517 Validation 8.57 8.73 7.99 12.76 −6.48 GCB_523 Training 5.96 8.56 8.74 12.77 −5.72 GCB_524 Training 8.51 8.09 8.76 12.51 −6.57 GCB_529 Training 5.12 9.17 8.88 10.77 −4.86 GCB_533 Training 8.88 8.81 8.36 12.44 −6.60 GCB_537 Validation 7.42 8.19 9.73 13.29 −6.68 GCB_543 Validation 8.49 8.02 8.66 12.06 −6.45 GCB_545 Training 8.65 8.28 6.90 12.90 −6.13 GCB_549 Validation 6.87 8.24 8.65 12.15 −6.00 GCB_550 Validation 8.98 8.29 8.76 12.24 −6.94 GCB_553 Validation 8.51 8.64 8.62 12.63 −6.69 GCB_565 Validation 7.97 8.79 9.79 13.42 −6.98 GCB_572 Training 7.61 8.60 9.39 12.58 −6.42 GCB_617 Validation 8.31 7.89 7.54 13.17 −6.12 GCB_618 Training 5.66 8.97 9.20 13.32 −5.54 GCB_619 Validation 7.83 8.65 9.34 12.12 −6.36 GCB_623 Training 7.16 8.88 9.26 12.35 −6.21 GCB_627 Validation 8.13 8.83 8.62 11.85 −6.31 GCB_654 Training 6.30 9.60 8.45 10.00 −4.88 GCB_661 Validation 8.46 8.51 8.18 12.66 −6.33 GCB_669 Training 7.88 8.65 8.59 12.32 −6.19 GCB_672 Training 8.29 8.61 8.14 12.41 −6.21 GCB_674 Validation 8.36 8.62 7.76 12.33 −6.14 GCB_675 Validation 6.01 9.52 8.90 10.12 −5.09 GCB_681 Training 9.25 8.72 8.72 12.59 −6.89 GCB_688 Validation 6.97 9.01 9.90 9.94 −5.99 GCB_695 Validation 8.80 8.73 9.23 12.45 −6.84 GCB_698 Validation 9.27 8.35 8.85 11.99 −6.96 GCB_701 Training 7.77 7.93 8.68 13.10 −6.33 GCB_710 Validation 6.12 8.78 7.65 13.19 −5.24 GCB_711 Training 7.57 8.80 8.43 11.44 −5.84 GCB_722 Training 7.78 8.31 8.93 12.61 −6.51 GCB_724 Training 7.88 9.08 8.74 11.53 −6.21 GCB_731 Validation 7.72 8.92 9.08 12.20 −6.46 GCB_742 Validation 8.33 8.55 8.58 12.95 −6.70 GCB_744 Training 8.02 8.64 9.36 11.85 −6.52 GCB_745 Training 8.47 8.34 8.93 11.95 −6.67 GCB_747 Validation 7.64 8.48 8.32 13.06 −6.27 GCB_749 Training 7.57 8.61 9.40 12.55 −6.56 GCB_758 Validation 5.66 8.77 7.89 12.51 −4.63 GCB_772 Validation 8.52 7.81 7.95 12.25 −6.34 GCB_777 Validation 7.52 8.65 8.57 11.69 −6.10 GCB_792 Training 8.14 8.64 9.21 12.08 −6.65 GCB_795 Validation 9.19 8.17 8.81 11.60 −6.92 GCB_797 Validation 7.50 8.62 8.08 12.84 −6.09 GCB_803 Validation 6.19 8.65 9.49 13.18 −6.11 GCB_810 Training 8.46 8.32 8.10 13.13 −6.50 GCB_817 Training 6.93 8.51 9.49 11.09 −6.04 GCB_818 Training 7.18 8.96 8.08 12.23 −5.76 GCB_819 Validation 7.16 8.97 8.06 13.22 −5.79 GCB_821 Validation 8.13 8.59 8.90 12.41 −6.61 GCB_832 Training 7.83 8.35 8.71 12.47 −6.37 GCB_836 Validation 7.84 8.99 8.50 11.46 −5.85 GCB_840 Training 8.24 7.75 7.40 11.74 −5.77 GCB_847 Training 7.82 8.17 8.97 12.55 −6.51 GCB_860 Training 7.12 8.39 9.34 11.54 −6.10 GCB_871 Training 5.59 9.60 7.28 11.16 −4.23 GCB_874 Training 8.53 9.14 8.95 11.65 −6.47 GCB_995 Validation 6.98 8.68 8.54 12.22 −5.76 PMBL_1006 Validation 7.34 8.51 7.66 10.94 −5.33 PMBL_1024 Validation 7.62 8.48 8.56 10.89 −5.96 PMBL_1048 Validation 8.68 8.16 7.23 12.18 −6.08 PMBL_1053 Training 7.02 8.28 8.24 11.12 −5.31 PMBL_484 Training 7.15 8.45 7.01 13.62 −5.41 PMBL_546 Validation 8.19 7.88 7.66 11.73 −6.06 PMBL_570 Training 9.34 8.21 8.48 12.70 −6.86 PMBL_621 Training 8.08 8.60 9.14 12.96 −6.72 PMBL_638 Training 7.56 8.26 8.00 11.37 −5.75 PMBL_691 Validation 6.48 8.92 8.40 10.17 −5.04 PMBL_791 Validation 7.72 8.65 8.94 11.56 −6.16 PMBL_824 Validation 8.06 8.01 7.76 13.28 −6.11 PMBL_994 Training 9.15 8.36 7.46 12.43 −6.29 PMBL_998 Training 6.70 8.35 9.24 13.19 −6.20 UC_DLBCL_1001 Validation 6.74 8.43 7.10 12.76 −5.31 UC_DLBCL_1004 Validation 7.54 8.75 8.01 13.09 −6.10 UC_DLBCL_1007 Training 9.97 8.44 7.64 12.97 −6.85 UC_DLBCL_1018 Training 6.42 8.38 6.97 12.71 −5.03 UC_DLBCL_1041 Validation 5.76 8.69 6.78 13.38 −4.71 UC_DLBCL_1054 Training 8.92 8.65 8.51 11.48 −6.59 UC_DLBCL_306 Validation 7.85 8.90 8.31 12.36 −6.23 UC_DLBCL_310 Training 8.14 8.80 7.63 12.27 −6.03 UC_DLBCL_449 Validation 9.03 8.48 7.07 12.17 −6.01 UC_DLBCL_458 Training 5.92 8.53 8.28 9.60 −4.96 UC_DLBCL_460 Validation 7.92 9.08 8.30 12.29 −6.13 UC_DLBCL_491 Training 7.65 8.33 7.35 12.39 −5.53 UC_DLBCL_528 Validation 6.99 8.56 7.36 11.63 −5.35 UC_DLBCL_615 Validation 7.11 8.32 8.77 12.80 −6.10 UC_DLBCL_625 Training 8.93 7.78 7.85 12.62 −6.46 UC_DLBCL_664 Training 7.62 8.15 8.17 12.72 −6.04 UC_DLBCL_671 Training 8.09 8.48 7.61 11.53 −5.78 UC_DLBCL_682 Training 7.38 8.35 7.14 12.33 −5.43 UC_DLBCL_683 Training 7.91 8.36 7.78 12.57 −6.02 UC_DLBCL_684 Validation 8.06 8.63 8.29 12.76 −6.29 UC_DLBCL_748 Validation 5.38 8.57 7.45 9.55 −4.23 UC_DLBCL_751 Training 6.33 8.65 8.88 13.14 −5.74 UC_DLBCL_808 Training 7.42 9.01 7.44 13.09 −5.63 UC_DLBCL_831 Validation 8.33 8.30 7.46 11.58 −5.84 UC_DLBCL_834 Training 6.98 9.09 8.61 11.77 −5.66 UC_DLBCL_838 Validation 7.25 8.40 7.23 12.56 −5.36 UC_DLBCL_851 Validation 6.28 9.05 6.78 8.19 −4.10 UC_DLBCL_854 Validation 7.36 8.50 7.39 12.59 −5.53 UC_DLBCL_855 Training 8.31 7.94 7.49 12.08 −6.07 UC_DLBCL_856 Validation 5.65 9.01 8.52 9.32 −4.68

In order to visualize the predictive power of the model, the 200 samples were ranked according to their survival predictor scores and divided into four quartiles. Kaplan-Meier plots of overall survival probability show clear differences in survival rate between these four quartiles (FIG. 11).

Example 8 Development of a Third DLBCL Survival Predictor Using Gene Expression Data from the Lymph Dx Microarray

The number of genes used to generate the DLBCL survival predictor in Example 7 was reduced in order to create a survival predictor compatible with RT-PCR. The list of genes from the lymph node and germinal center B-cell gene expression signatures was narrowed to those three genes from each signature that were most closely correlated with the lymph node and germinal center B-cell gene expression signature values, respectively. The genes from the proliferation gene expression signature did not add significantly to the reduced gene survival prediction model, so they were removed entirely. The expression of the genes within each signature was averaged on the log 2 scale to generate a gene expression signature value for each signature. Table 2374 lists the genes that were used to generate these gene expression signature values.

TABLE 2374 Signature UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Gene symbol Germinal center B-cell 1099686 117721 Germinal center B-cell 1529318 291954 Germinal center B-cell 1529344 317970 SERPINA11 Lymph node 1097126 274520 ANTXR1 Lymph node 1099358 93135 Lymph node 1121029 412999 CSTA MHC class II 1136777 387679 HLA-DQA1 MHC class II 1136877 409934 HLA-DQB1

Table 2375 lists p-values for the association of each signature with survival in the training set, the validation set, and overall.

TABLE 2375 Signature Training set Validation set Overall Lymph node 6.1 × 10⁻⁶ 0.0021 2.1 × 10⁻¹⁷ Germinal center B-cell 3.5 × 10⁻⁴ 0.0099 2.7 × 10⁻⁵ MHC class II 0.024 0.0026 0.00031

The three gene expression signatures were used to generate a survival predictor score using the following equation: Survival predictor score=[−0.32*(lymph node gene expression signature value)]−[0.176*(germinal center B-cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.206*(MHC class II gene expression signature value)]. A higher survival predictor score was associated with worse outcome. For the 200 DLBCL samples used to generate the model, the survival predictor score had a mean of 6.54 and a standard deviation of 0.69, with each unit increase in the predictor score corresponding to an approximately 2.7 fold increase in the relative risk of death. Data for all 200 samples is presented in Table 2376.

TABLE 2376 Lymph Germinal MHC node center class II Survival signa- B-cell signa- predic- ture signature ture tor Sample ID # Set value value value score ABC_1000 Validation 8.08 5.68 11.50 −5.96 ABC_1002 Validation 8.32 6.06 12.54 −6.31 ABC_1023 Validation 9.36 4.74 11.42 −6.18 ABC_1027 Training 7.41 4.90 12.31 −5.77 ABC_1031 Validation 9.40 5.23 11.68 −6.33 ABC_1034 Validation 7.47 4.92 11.83 −5.69 ABC_1038 Training 7.89 5.84 12.30 −6.09 ABC_1043 Training 7.84 4.66 12.29 −5.86 ABC_1045 Validation 9.31 4.66 12.07 −6.29 ABC_1055 Validation 6.46 6.38 13.05 −5.88 ABC_1057 Training 9.13 7.93 12.05 −6.80 ABC_1059 Validation 10.93 4.82 11.35 −6.68 ABC_1061 Training 8.18 5.04 12.28 −6.04 ABC_304 Validation 7.31 6.47 12.76 −6.10 ABC_305 Training 7.02 6.60 11.89 −5.86 ABC_309 Validation 10.47 7.00 12.53 −7.16 ABC_413 Validation 7.99 4.80 9.04 −5.26 ABC_428 Training 9.43 7.59 10.25 −6.47 ABC_432 Validation 7.29 8.16 9.56 −5.74 ABC_446 Training 9.49 5.46 10.55 −6.17 ABC_462 Validation 7.72 4.97 13.36 −6.10 ABC_477 Validation 7.16 3.69 12.45 −5.51 ABC_481 Training 9.75 6.89 11.98 −6.80 ABC_482 Training 10.51 7.64 12.35 −7.25 ABC_538 Validation 8.79 5.00 11.83 −6.13 ABC_541 Training 7.70 5.80 10.59 −5.67 ABC_544 Training 8.90 3.98 11.87 −5.99 ABC_547 Validation 7.05 5.18 11.38 −5.51 ABC_577 Validation 9.93 8.05 11.95 −7.06 ABC_616 Validation 7.34 4.54 12.64 −5.75 ABC_626 Validation 8.78 6.77 11.11 −6.29 ABC_633 Training 9.63 5.02 12.45 −6.53 ABC_642 Training 7.31 4.95 13.80 −6.05 ABC_644 Validation 7.72 5.35 13.28 −6.15 ABC_645 Training 9.77 6.21 13.39 −6.98 ABC_646 Validation 7.39 3.75 11.60 −5.41 ABC_652 Validation 7.51 4.53 12.73 −5.82 ABC_660 Training 5.85 3.55 10.17 −4.59 ABC_663 Training 7.04 5.06 12.82 −5.78 ABC_668 Validation 8.00 5.65 10.57 −5.73 ABC_676 Training 6.53 4.29 13.32 −5.59 ABC_678 Training 6.87 7.48 11.26 −5.83 ABC_687 Validation 6.39 3.78 10.46 −4.87 ABC_689 Training 8.29 5.07 12.56 −6.13 ABC_692 Validation 8.10 5.26 11.57 −5.90 ABC_694 Validation 9.67 8.15 12.41 −7.09 ABC_700 Training 8.37 6.75 12.10 −6.36 ABC_702 Validation 8.44 4.59 12.55 −6.09 ABC_704 Training 8.51 4.34 12.83 −6.13 ABC_709 Validation 7.47 4.54 13.40 −5.95 ABC_712 Validation 7.12 3.99 12.02 −5.46 ABC_714 Training 9.57 7.03 11.97 −6.77 ABC_717 Training 8.33 5.54 11.34 −5.98 ABC_725 Training 8.04 4.40 12.76 −5.97 ABC_726 Validation 7.79 4.18 11.91 −5.68 ABC_730 Validation 8.13 7.36 12.14 −6.40 ABC_753 Training 9.24 6.60 13.00 −6.80 ABC_756 Training 9.51 5.21 12.48 −6.53 ABC_771 Training 8.08 4.74 12.20 −5.93 ABC_779 Training 8.11 4.09 9.82 −5.34 ABC_800 Validation 10.34 4.83 11.91 −6.61 ABC_807 Training 6.58 4.44 7.56 −4.44 ABC_809 Training 9.29 5.72 10.83 −6.21 ABC_816 Training 6.36 6.36 10.64 −5.35 ABC_820 Training 8.10 4.79 11.98 −5.90 ABC_823 Validation 6.63 4.85 10.09 −5.05 ABC_835 Validation 9.17 7.78 12.31 −6.84 ABC_839 Training 8.06 4.97 11.89 −5.90 ABC_841 Validation 8.05 6.24 13.19 −6.39 ABC_858 Training 9.02 4.86 11.74 −6.16 ABC_872 Training 8.67 5.85 12.47 −6.37 ABC_875 Training 9.60 5.59 11.26 −6.37 ABC_912 Validation 7.99 7.74 12.79 −6.56 ABC_996 Validation 6.89 6.23 10.02 −5.36 GCB_1005 Validation 9.02 9.56 13.27 −7.30 GCB_1008 Training 9.27 10.49 12.83 −7.46 GCB_1009 Training 7.80 10.09 12.28 −6.80 GCB_1021 Validation 8.73 9.20 13.20 −7.13 GCB_1025 Validation 9.94 9.97 12.37 −7.49 GCB_1026 Training 9.54 10.20 13.52 −7.63 GCB_1037 Training 6.34 8.79 12.57 −6.17 GCB_1039 Training 8.71 9.94 13.28 −7.27 GCB_1049 Validation 10.53 8.18 12.60 −7.41 GCB_1051 Validation 7.63 10.18 12.76 −6.86 GCB_1058 Validation 8.61 9.04 12.80 −6.98 GCB_1060 Validation 10.23 9.38 12.96 −7.59 GCB_412 Training 8.79 7.92 13.09 −6.90 GCB_415 Training 10.72 8.57 11.99 −7.41 GCB_421 Training 9.23 5.26 12.20 −6.39 GCB_424 Training 11.14 8.46 12.44 −7.62 GCB_433 Training 9.26 8.52 12.64 −7.07 GCB_434 Training 9.73 10.13 12.54 −7.48 GCB_438 Validation 9.60 9.99 12.51 −7.41 GCB_459 Validation 10.51 7.75 11.37 −7.07 GCB_470 Validation 9.56 6.63 12.23 −6.74 GCB_479 Validation 7.77 4.71 13.07 −6.01 GCB_492 Training 8.82 9.52 12.34 −7.04 GCB_517 Validation 9.92 6.96 12.76 −7.03 GCB_523 Training 6.59 9.17 12.77 −6.35 GCB_524 Training 10.00 7.83 12.51 −7.16 GCB_529 Training 5.61 7.93 10.77 −5.41 GCB_533 Training 9.55 5.54 12.44 −6.59 GCB_537 Validation 8.25 10.25 13.29 −7.18 GCB_543 Validation 9.92 8.85 12.06 −7.21 GCB_545 Training 9.69 4.91 12.90 −6.62 GCB_549 Validation 7.86 8.88 12.15 −6.58 GCB_550 Validation 10.64 9.53 12.24 −7.60 GCB_553 Validation 10.14 9.05 12.63 −7.44 GCB_565 Validation 9.08 10.80 13.42 −7.57 GCB_572 Training 8.93 10.03 12.58 −7.21 GCB_617 Validation 9.27 7.80 13.17 −7.05 GCB_618 Training 7.23 9.11 13.32 −6.66 GCB_619 Validation 9.63 9.63 12.12 −7.27 GCB_623 Training 8.94 9.07 12.35 −7.00 GCB_627 Validation 9.72 8.33 11.85 −7.02 GCB_654 Training 7.04 5.60 10.00 −5.30 GCB_661 Validation 10.27 7.92 12.66 −7.29 GCB_669 Training 9.15 9.29 12.32 −7.10 GCB_672 Training 9.69 7.36 12.41 −6.95 GCB_674 Validation 9.93 6.23 12.33 −6.81 GCB_675 Validation 7.48 8.46 10.12 −5.97 GCB_681 Training 10.77 9.52 12.59 −7.72 GCB_688 Validation 8.01 10.17 9.94 −6.40 GCB_695 Validation 10.58 9.38 12.45 −7.60 GCB_698 Validation 10.44 9.00 11.99 −7.39 GCB_701 Training 9.38 9.27 13.10 −7.33 GCB_710 Validation 6.96 5.59 13.19 −5.93 GCB_711 Training 9.28 8.49 11.44 −6.82 GCB_722 Training 8.93 9.51 12.61 −7.13 GCB_724 Training 9.51 8.39 11.53 −6.90 GCB_731 Validation 8.82 9.19 12.20 −6.95 GCB_742 Validation 9.95 9.37 12.95 −7.50 GCB_744 Training 10.23 10.11 11.85 −7.49 GCB_745 Training 10.29 9.71 11.95 −7.46 GCB_747 Validation 9.83 9.79 13.06 −7.56 GCB_749 Training 8.57 10.27 12.55 −7.14 GCB_758 Validation 6.88 5.69 12.51 −5.78 GCB_772 Validation 9.92 7.28 12.25 −6.98 GCB_777 Validation 9.03 9.63 11.69 −6.99 GCB_792 Training 9.49 9.06 12.08 −7.12 GCB_795 Validation 11.12 9.02 11.60 −7.54 GCB_797 Validation 8.42 5.90 12.84 −6.38 GCB_803 Validation 7.33 10.11 13.18 −6.84 GCB_810 Training 10.00 8.22 13.13 −7.35 GCB_817 Training 8.60 10.16 11.09 −6.82 GCB_818 Training 9.14 7.78 12.23 −6.81 GCB_819 Validation 9.08 8.63 13.22 −7.15 GCB_821 Validation 10.05 9.81 12.41 −7.50 GCB_832 Training 8.83 6.91 12.47 −6.61 GCB_836 Validation 9.49 7.86 11.46 −6.78 GCB_840 Training 9.45 5.02 11.74 −6.33 GCB_847 Training 9.41 8.77 12.55 −7.14 GCB_860 Training 9.02 6.66 11.54 −6.43 GCB_871 Training 6.60 4.46 11.16 −5.20 GCB_874 Training 10.39 9.13 11.65 −7.33 GCB_995 Validation 8.52 9.35 12.22 −6.89 PMBL_1006 Validation 8.72 4.67 10.94 −5.86 PMBL_1024 Validation 9.30 8.47 10.89 −6.71 PMBL_1048 Validation 10.30 4.98 12.18 −6.68 PMBL_1053 Training 8.75 9.78 11.12 −6.81 PMBL_484 Training 8.25 4.96 13.62 −6.32 PMBL_546 Validation 9.66 6.07 11.73 −6.57 PMBL_570 Training 10.58 8.54 12.70 −7.50 PMBL_621 Training 9.39 9.94 12.96 −7.43 PMBL_638 Training 9.81 8.35 11.37 −6.95 PMBL_691 Validation 8.37 7.51 10.17 −6.10 PMBL_791 Validation 9.29 8.65 11.56 −6.88 PMBL_824 Validation 9.87 7.19 13.28 −7.16 PMBL_994 Training 11.27 6.73 12.43 −7.35 PMBL_998 Training 7.92 8.34 13.19 −6.72 UC_DLBCL_1001 Validation 8.25 5.63 12.76 −6.26 UC_DLBCL_1004 Validation 9.01 7.01 13.09 −6.81 UC_DLBCL_1007 Training 11.42 6.73 12.97 −7.51 UC_DLBCL_1018 Training 7.77 4.58 12.71 −5.91 UC_DLBCL_1041 Validation 7.90 4.33 13.38 −6.05 UC_DLBCL_1054 Training 10.41 8.72 11.48 −7.23 UC_DLBCL_306 Validation 9.42 6.54 12.36 −6.71 UC_DLBCL_310 Training 9.97 5.50 12.27 −6.69 UC_DLBCL_449 Validation 10.01 5.37 12.17 −6.65 UC_DLBCL_458 Training 7.50 5.79 9.60 −5.40 UC_DLBCL_460 Validation 10.26 8.27 12.29 −7.27 UC_DLBCL_491 Training 9.43 4.73 12.39 −6.40 UC_DLBCL_528 Validation 8.42 6.19 11.63 −6.18 UC_DLBCL_615 Validation 8.44 9.01 12.80 −6.92 UC_DLBCL_625 Training 10.43 8.27 12.62 −7.39 UC_DLBCL_664 Training 9.80 8.74 12.72 −7.29 UC_DLBCL_671 Training 9.42 5.26 11.53 −6.32 UC_DLBCL_682 Training 9.01 4.73 12.33 −6.26 UC_DLBCL_683 Training 8.85 8.23 12.57 −6.87 UC_DLBCL_684 Validation 9.62 8.78 12.76 −7.25 UC_DLBCL_748 Validation 7.60 5.79 9.55 −5.42 UC_DLBCL_751 Training 6.40 9.91 13.14 −6.50 UC_DLBCL_808 Training 9.44 7.01 13.09 −6.95 UC_DLBCL_831 Validation 9.45 5.81 11.58 −6.43 UC_DLBCL_834 Training 8.52 7.66 11.77 −6.50 UC_DLBCL_838 Validation 8.49 4.60 12.56 −6.11 UC_DLBCL_851 Validation 7.50 4.82 8.19 −4.94 UC_DLBCL_854 Validation 8.35 5.82 12.59 −6.29 UC_DLBCL_855 Training 9.56 5.44 12.08 −6.51 UC_DLBCL_856 Validation 6.81 7.49 9.32 −5.42

In order to visualize the predictive power of the model, the 200 samples were ranked according to their survival predictor scores and divided into four quartiles. Kaplan-Meier plots of overall survival probability show clear differences in survival rate between these four quartiles (FIG. 12).

Example 9 Development of a Refined DLBCL Survival Predictor Based on Genomic Alterations

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) was performed on 224 DLBCL samples for which gene expression profiles had previously been obtained using a Lymphochip (Rosenwald 2002). Of these 224 samples, 87 had been classified as GCB based on the Lymphochip expression data, 77 had been classified as ABC, 19 had been classified as PMBL, and 41 were unclassified (Wright 2003). Clinical data was available for each subject from whom the samples had been obtained (Rosenwald 2002). All patients had received anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Median follow-up was 2.7 years and 58% of patients died during this period. The median age of the patients was 60 years and 54% were men. 16% of patients had Ann Arbor stage I disease and 30%, 19%, and 35% had Stage II, III, and IV, respectively. 38% of DLBCL patients (78 cases) with available data were in the low-risk IPI group (IPI 0-1), 48% (99 cases) were in the intermediate-risk IPI group (IPI 2-3), and 14% (30 cases) were in the high-risk IPI group (IPI 4-5).

CGH was carried out using a commercially available kit (Vysis, Downers Grove, Ill.). Hybridization and digital image acquisition, processing, and evaluation were performed on a Cytovision Ultra workstation (Applied Imaging, Sunderland, UK) as described previously (Bea 1999). Signal ratios greater than 1.25 were considered chromosomal gains, while signal ratios less than 0.75 were considered chromosomal losses. Ratios exceeding 1.5 and/or strong focal signals with a ratio profile showing over-representation were considered genomic amplifications.

CGH alterations in individual cytobands were treated as categorical variables and their associations with DLBCL subgroups or gene expression signatures were analyzed as follows. Preliminary analyses did not reveal significant differences in the effects of gains and amplifications, so they were treated as equivalent chromosomal abnormalities. Since a large number of individual chromosomal abnormalities were analyzed, there was a danger that some of the abnormalities would appear to be significant purely by chance. To avoid such false positives, a stepwise permutation test that generated nominal p-values accounting for multiple hypothesis testing was used (Westfall 1993; Simon 2003). This test takes into account the correlation between different chromosomal abnormalities. Differences in abnormality frequency between subtypes were detected using a chi squared test. Differences in gene expression signature measures affected by genomic imbalances were detected using a t-test. To further reduce the effects of multiple comparisons, only those chromosomal abnormalities that were present in a substantial portion of the data were analyzed. For the subgroup analysis, only those alterations that had a frequency of >20% in one or more of the DLBCL subgroups were considered. For correlation with gene expression signatures, chromosomal abnormalities were only considered if they occurred in at least 5% of all DLBCL samples. P-values for the association between gene expression levels (as a continuous variable) and genomic imbalances (amplification vs. gain vs. normal copy number) were calculated using an ANOVA test. P-values of <0.01 were considered significant to account for multiple comparisons. Overall survival was modeled using a Cox proportional hazards approach and visualized using the Kaplan-Meier method. The P values were adjusted for multiple comparisons, with the follow-up time and status at follow-up being permuted. Once an abnormality was found to be significant univariately, a likelihood ratio test was used to determine whether this variable added significantly to the survival model based on gene expression.

FIG. 29 shows the results of CGH analysis for GCB (A), ABC (B), and PMBL (C) samples (Bea 2005). Overall, chromosomal alterations were observed in 164 of the 224 patients (73%). A summary of the most common alterations is set forth in Table 2415.

TABLE 2415 Overall ABC GCB PMBL Unclassified (n = 224) (n = 77) (n = 87) (n = 19) (n = 41) Samples exhibiting 164 (73%)  63 (81%) 63 (72%) 16 (84%) 22 (54%) alterations Mean number of 3.3 4.5 3.1 3.3 1.7 alterations Mean number of gains 1.9 2.5 1.6 2.1 1.0 Mean number of 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.0 amplifications Mean number of losses 1.2 1.6 1.1 0.8 0.6 Gains Xp 27 (12%) 12 (16%) 12 (14%)  3 (16%) 0 1q25-q32 26 (12%)  9 (12%)  9 (10%) 1 (5%)  7 (17%) 2p14-p16⁺ 39 (17%) 12 (15%) 15 (17%)  9 (47%) 3 (7%) Trisomy 3⁺ 14 (6%)  12 (15%) 0 1 (5%) 1 (2%) 3p+ 28 (12%) 24 (31%) 1 (1%) 1 (5%) 2 (5%) 3q* 22 (10%) 20 (26%) 0 1 (5%) 1 (2%) 3q27-qter* 35 (16%) 26 (33%) 4 (5%)  3 (16%) 2 (5%) 6p 30 (13%) 13 (17%) 11 (13%) 1 (5%)  5 (12%) 7p 22 (10%)  8 (10%) 13 (15%) 1 (5%) 0 7q 25 (11%) 10 (13%) 13 (15%) 1 (5%) 1 (2%) 8q23-qter 23 (10%)  8 (10%) 10 (11%)  2 (11%) 3 (7%) 9p* 14 (6%)  5 (6%) 0  7 (37%) 2 (5%) 12p 19 (8%)  4 (5%) 14 (16%) 1 (5%) 0 12q12^(#) 24 (11%) 4 (5%) 18 (21%) 1 (5%) 1 (2%) 12q22-qter 22 (10%) 7 (9%) 13 (15%) 1 (5%) 1 (2%) 18q21-q22⁺ 42 (19%) 26 (34%)  9 (10%)  3 (16%)  4 (10%) Losses 6q16 50 (22%) 26 (34%) 19 (22%) 0  5 (12%) 6q21-q22⁺ 55 (25%) 31 (40%) 19 (22%) 0  5 (12%) 8p22-pter 19 (8%)   8 (10%) 3 (3%)  3 (16%)  5 (12%) 17p 22 (10%) 14 (18%) 7 (8%) 0 1 (2%) *P < 0.001; ⁺P < 0.05; ^(#)P = 0.059; unclassified tumors were not included in statistical analysis

The number of alterations did not differ statistically between GCB (3.1±3.7, n=87), ABC (4.5±4.5, n=77), PMBL (3.3±2.7, n=19) and unclassified DLBCL (1.7±2.2, n=41). Among samples exhibiting alterations, 81% exhibited more than one. The most frequent alteration in those samples exhibiting only a single alteration was loss of 6q (n=8), with two minimally lost regions in 6q21-q22 and 6q25-qter. These deletions may represent early events in the development of these lymphomas.

Irrespective of the DLBCL subgroup, the most frequent alterations were loss of 6q22-q22 (25%), loss of 6q16 (22%), gain of 18q21-q22 (19%), gain of 2p14-p16 (17%), gain of 3q27-qter (16%), gain of 6p (13%), and gain of Xp, 1q25-q32, and 3p (12% each). Amplifications were identified in 33 different chromosomal regions, most frequently in 2p14-p16 and 18q21-q22 (11 and 20 cases, respectively). Some alterations occurred frequently in the same tumors, suggesting that they may be part of a recurrent lymphogenesis pathway. For example, 17 of 26 ABC samples with 3q27-qter gains also exhibited 18q21-q22 gains (P=0.0001, odds ratio: 9.23; 95% C13.14-27.2).

Notably, several chromosomal alterations were differentially distributed among DLBCL subgroups (FIG. 29D). ABC exhibited characteristic and recurrent gains of chromosome 3, gains and amplification of 18q21-q22, and loss of 6q21-q22. Gains of the whole 3q arm and trisomy 3, which were observed in 26% and 15% of ABC samples, respectively, were never observed in GCB and observed only once in PMBL. Gains of 18q21-q22 were observed in 34% of ABC samples, versus only 10% and 16% of GCB and PMBL samples, respectively. Amplification of 18q21, which contains the BCL2 gene, was also more frequent in ABC (18%) than in GCB or PMBL (5% each). Previous studies utilizing PCR-based and FISH methods found that the t(14;18) translocation, which involves the BCL2 gene, occurs in GCB but never in ABC (Huang 2002; Iqbal 2004). Interestingly, 3 of the 4 GCB samples exhibiting amplification of 18q21 also exhibited the t(14;18) translocation (the remaining case was not analyzed for this translocation). High expression of the BCL2 gene is a characteristic feature of ABC, but only occurs in GCB that have the t(14;18) translocation (Alizadeh 2000; Huang 2002; Rosenwald 2002). Together, these data suggest that amplification of the 18q21 region occurs preferentially in lymphomas that have the ability to express the BCL2 gene.

GCB samples were characterized by more frequent gains of 12q12 compared to ABC and PMBL, although this increase did not reach statistical significance (21% for GCB vs. 5% for both ABC and PMBL, P=0.059). PMBL samples were characterized by frequent gains of 9p21-pter (37% for PMBL vs. 0% for GCB and 6% for ABC, P<0.001) and 2p14-p16 (47% for PMBL vs. 17% for GCB and 11% for ABC, P<0.02) compared to GCB and ABC. Taken together, these data further demonstrate that GCB, ABC, and PMBL are genetically distinct.

To confirm some of the more frequent DLBCL chromosomal alterations identified by CGH, real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) was used to quantify the copy number of select genes from the following regions: 2p14-16 (REL, BCL11A), 12q13-q14 (SAS, CDK4, MDM2), 3q27 (RFC4, BCL6, and 18q21 (MADH4, MALT1, BCL2). RQ-PCR was performed using the ABI Prism 7700 Sequence Detector System (Applied Biosystems). β₂-microglobulin (β₂M) was used as a reference gene. Each assay was analyzed using the comparative cycle threshold (C_(T)) method, using the arithmetic formula provided by the manufacturer. To determine the cut-off values for a genomic gain/amplification in each probe set, eight DNA samples from peripheral blood or placenta of healthy subjects was studied. The cut-off value for a genomic gain was determined to be the mean ratio plus three standard deviation units (approximately 1.3 for each gene). A ratio between the cut-off value and 2 was considered a gain, while a ratio of greater than 2 was considered an amplification. A subset of samples were also investigated using albumin (ALB) as a reference gene. The results between the two control genes were totally concordant in 87% of the cases, and partially concordant in 13% of the cases. For the four samples that CGH had shown contained alterations in the β₂M locus (15q21.1), ALB was used as the sole reference gene.

REL was found to be amplified in virtually all GCB samples in which high-level 2p14-16 amplifications had been observed by CGH. The copy number of BCL11A was increased in all but one of these cases, albeit usually at lower levels than REL. Although CGH had shown high-level 2p14-16 amplifications in two ABC samples, RQ-PCR showed merely a gain in REL for these two samples. BCLIIA was amplified in one of these samples and gained in the other. These results confirm the previous observation that REL may not be the primary target of amplification in ABC (Rosenwald 2002). CDK4 and SAS, which map to 12q13-q14, were frequently gained or amplified in GCB samples that had exhibited 12q gains by CGH, whereas MDM2 was less commonly altered in these samples. In contrast, all three ABC samples with 12q13-q14 gains exhibited gains of CDK4, although less frequently than gains of SAS or MDM2. RFC4 and BCL6, located in 3q27, were gained or amplified in all ABC and GCB samples in which 3q27-qter gains or amplifications had been observed by CGH. MALT1 and BCL2 were commonly gained or amplified in ABC and GCB samples that had exhibited 18q21 gains by CGH, while MADH4 was less frequently altered.

To determine the influence of these chromosomal alterations on locus-specific gene expression, mRNA levels of genes located in four recurrently gained/amplified regions (2p14-p16, 3q27-qter, 12q12-q15, and 18q21-q22) were correlated with copy number changes. It was found that each of these chromosomal alterations was associated with a higher expression levels for a subset of genes within the region, but these genes differed between DLBCL subgroups.

14 genes were mapped to the chromosomal region 2p14-p16. GCB and ABC samples with increased genomic copy numbers in this region showed significant overexpression of 8 (57%) and 5 (36%) of these 14 genes, respectively (FIGS. 30A and 30B). Four of the genes (VRK2, XPO1, SLC14A, and ACTR2) were significantly overexpressed in both GCB and ABC samples (FIGS. 30A and 2B). In contrast, REL, ASHA2, MDH1, and UGP2 were only overexpressed in GCB-DLBCL with 2p14-p16 gains (FIG. 30A).

GCB and ABC samples with gains/amplifications in the 12q12-q15 region showed significant overexpression of 10 (19%) and 12 (23%) of the 52 genes represented on the Lymphochip microarray. Five of these genes were overexpressed in both GCB and ABC samples (SENP1, MCRS1, MARS, SAS, and CDK4) (FIG. 30F). Most of the overexpressed genes clustered to the chromosomal region 12q13.

7 (33%) of the 21 genes mapping to chromosome 3q27-qter were significantly overexpressed in ABC (FIG. 30C), versus only 2 (13%) in GCB. Similarly, 9 (75%) of the 12 genes mapping to chromosome 18q21-q22 were significantly overexpressed in ABC (FIG. 30E), versus only 4 (33%) in GCB (FIG. 30D). All 4 18q21-q22 genes overexpressed in GCB (MADH2, MADH4, LOC51320, and PMAIP1) were also overexpressed in ABC.

To determine whether the various genetic alterations identified in DLBCL samples influence previously defined gene expression signatures, gene expression signature averages were created for each DLBCL, and then evaluated within tumors with specific chromosomal alterations (Bea 2005). Statistically significant associations were observed between several chromosomal alterations and the proliferation, lymph node, T-cell, and MHC class II gene expression signatures. In particular, gains of various cytobands of chromosome 3 and losses in 6q21 were both associated with increased expression of the proliferation gene expression signature (FIG. 31). Copy number gains of the chromosomal regions 3p12 and 3q12 were associated with decreased expression of the MHC class II gene expression signature. Genetic losses of 6q21 and other cytobands of chromosome 6, as well as losses of 17p13, gains of Xp11, gains of 11q24-q25, gains of 12q12, and gains of several cytobands in 7p and 7q all decreased expression of the T-cell gene expression signature. Finally, gains of Xp21 were associated with increased expression of the lymph node gene expression signature, while gains of 3q22 or several additional cytobands in 3p and 3q were associated with decreased expression of lymph node gene expression signature.

The prognostic value of each DLBCL chromosomal alteration was analyzed across all DLBCL samples and within each DLBCL subtype separately. Although several chromosomal alterations were individually associated with a significant increase or decrease in overall survival rate, only gains within certain regions of chromosome 3 were significantly associated with shorter overall survival after adjustment for multiple comparisons in the whole series of patients. These regions were 3p11-p12, 3q11-q13, 3q21-q24, and 3q25-q27.

Previously, a gene expression-based DLBCL survival predictor had been developed using four gene expression signatures and BMP6 (Rosenwald 2002). This survival predictor had the following formula: Survival predictor score=[0.241*(proliferation gene expression signature value)]+[0.310*(BMP6)]−[0.290*(germinal center B cell gene expression signature value)]−[0.311*(MHC class II gene expression signature value)]−[0.249*(lymph node gene expression signature value)].

This model could divide DLBCL patients into four quartile groups with 5-year survival rates of 73%, 71%, 34%, and 15%. To determine whether the chromosome 3 gains discussed above could improve this survival predictor, a multivariate analysis was performed. In this analysis, chromosome 3 gains involving the 3p11-p12 region had an independent prognostic value and improved survival predictions obtained using gene expression data alone (FIG. 32). Cases with gains of 3p11-p12 were primarily those that had been categorized in the least favorable quartile survival group using gene expression data alone. However, several cases with 3p11-p12 gains had been included in the more favorable quartile survival groups based on gene expression data. These cases had a significantly worse clinical prognosis than would have been predicted by gene expression data alone.

Example 10 Development of an MCL Survival Predictor Using Gene Expression Data from Affymetrix U133A and U133B Microarrays

The connection between higher expression of proliferation genes and worse survival in MCL had previously been documented and validated (Rosenwald 2003a). A cluster of proliferation genes had been identified in the DLBCL samples used to create the DLBCL survival predictor described in Example 7. By averaging the expression of these genes, a proliferation gene expression signature value had been developed for the DLBCL samples. The correlation of this signature with each probe set on the U133A and U133B microarrays was determined, and the 22 genes for which the correlation was greater than 0.5 were labeled proliferation genes. The correlation between expression of these proliferation genes and survival in 21 MCL samples was estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Table 2377 lists these 21 MCL samples.

TABLE 2377 Length of follow-up Status Used in creating Sample ID # (years) at follow-up survival predictor? MCL_1012 3.19 Alive Yes MCL_1091 3.03 Alive Yes MCL_1114 0.59 Dead Yes MCL_1128 0.43 Dead Yes MCL_1150 3.21 Dead Yes MCL_1162 0.78 Alive Yes MCL_1166 0.53 Dead Yes MCL_1194 0.55 Alive Yes MCL_885 1.19 Alive Yes MCL_918 1.95 Dead Yes MCL_924 5.48 Dead Yes MCL_925 7.23 Alive Yes MCL_926 5.18 Dead Yes MCL_936 2.80 Alive Yes MCL_939 1.07 Dead Yes MCL_953 2.31 Dead Yes MCL_956 1.40 Dead Yes MCL_964 0.75 Alive Yes MCL_966 0.21 Dead Yes MCL_968 1.59 Dead Yes MCL_970 5.02 Dead Yes Out of the 22 proliferation genes, 11 were significant at a 0.001 level. The expression level of these 11 genes in each of the 21 MCL samples was averaged to generate a proliferation gene expression signature value. No other genes represented on the U133A or U133B microarrays correlated with MCL survival to an extent greater than would be expected by chance, so the final model included only proliferation genes. The 11 genes used to generate the model are presented in Table 2378.

TABLE 2378 Signature UNIQID Gene Symbol Proliferation 1097290 CIRH1A Proliferation 1101295 FLJ40629 Proliferation 1119729 TK1 Proliferation 1120153 LMNB1 Proliferation 1120494 CDC6 Proliferation 1124745 KIAA0056 Proliferation 1126148 DKFZp586E1120 Proliferation 1130618 TPI1 Proliferation 1134753 WHSC1 Proliferation 1139654 ECT2 Proliferation 1140632 IMAGE: 52707

A survival predictor score for MCL was generated using the following equation: Survival predictor score=1.66*(proliferation gene expression signature value). This model was associated with survival in a statistically significant manner (p=0.00018). To illustrate the significance of the model in predicting survival, the 21 MCL samples were divided into two equivalent groups based on their survival predictor scores. Those samples with survival predictor scores above the median were placed in the high proliferation group, while those with survival predictor scores below the median were placed in the low proliferation group. FIG. 13 illustrates the Kaplan Meier survival estimates for these two groups. Median survival for the high proliferation group was 1.07 years, while median survival for the low proliferation group was 5.18 years.

Example 11 Development of an MCL Survival Predictor Using Gene Expression Data from the Lymph Dx Microarray

A set of 21 genes associated with proliferation and poor prognosis in MCL had been identified previously (Rosenwald 2003a). Of these 21 genes, only four were represented on the Lymph Dx microarray. In order to find a larger set of genes on the Lymph Dx microarray associated with survival in MCL, Lymphochip expression data (Rosenwald 2003a) was re-analyzed and another set of proliferation genes whose expression levels were correlated with poor survival in MCL were identified. Thirteen of these genes were represented on the Lymph Dx microarray (median expression >6 on log₂ scale). These 13 genes are listed in Table 2379.

TABLE 2379 Signature UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Gene symbol Proliferation 1119294 156346 TOP2A Proliferation 1119729 164457 TK1 Proliferation 1120153 89497 LMNB1 Proliferation 1121276 24529 CHEK1 Proliferation 1123358 442658 AURKB Proliferation 1124178 446579 HSPCA Proliferation 1124563 249441 WEE1 Proliferation 1130799 233952 PSMA7 Proliferation 1131274 374378 CKS1B Proliferation 1131778 396393 UBE2S Proliferation 1132449 250822 STK6 Proliferation 1135229 367676 DUT Proliferation 1136585 80976 MKI67

The expression levels of the 13 genes listed in Table 2379 on the Lymph Dx microarray were transformed into the 1092 scale and averaged to form a proliferation gene expression signature value. This was used to generate a survival predictor score using the following equation: Survival predictor score=1.66*(proliferation gene expression signature value).

For the 21 MCL samples analyzed, the survival predictor score had a mean of 14.85 and a standard deviation of 1.13. Even in this limited sample set, the survival predictor score was significantly associated with prognosis (p=0.0049), with each unit increase in the score corresponding to a 2.7 fold increase in the relative risk of death. Data for all 21 samples is shown in Table 2380.

TABLE 2380 Proliferation Survival predictor Sample ID # signature value score MCL_1012 8.83 14.658 MCL_1091 8.81 14.625 MCL_1114 10.39 17.247 MCL_1128 10.12 16.799 MCL_1150 8.33 13.828 MCL_1162 8.15 13.529 MCL_1166 9.40 15.604 MCL_1194 7.44 12.350 MCL_885 8.68 14.409 MCL_918 9.33 15.488 MCL_924 8.35 13.861 MCL_925 8.86 14.708 MCL_926 8.14 13.512 MCL_936 8.56 14.21 MCL_939 9.14 15.172 MCL_953 9.25 15.355 MCL_956 9.35 15.521 MCL_964 9.74 16.168 MCL_966 8.76 14.542 MCL_968 9.10 15.106 MCL_970 9.27 15.388

To illustrate the significance of the model in predicting survival, the 21 MCL samples were divided into two equivalent groups based on their survival predictor scores. Those samples with survival predictor scores above the median were placed in the high proliferation group, while those with survival predictor scores below the median were placed in the low proliferation group. FIG. 14 illustrates the Kaplan Meier survival estimates for these two groups.

Example 12 Identification of Lymphoma Samples as MCL Based on Bayesian Analysis of Gene Expression Data from Affymetrix U133A and U133B Microarrays

A statistical method based on Bayesian analysis was developed to distinguish MCL samples from samples belonging to other lymphoma types based on gene expression profiling. This method was developed using the gene expression data obtained in Example 1 for the following lymphoma types: ABC, GCB, PMBL, BL, FH, FL, MALT, MCL, PTLD, SLL, and splenic marginal zone lymphoma (splenic). Tables 1707-1741 (discussed in Example 1) provide gene expression data for samples within each of these lymphoma types, including the expression level of each gene and the difference in expression of each gene between types. Tables 1710, 1715, and 1723 (corresponding to FL, MCL, and DLBCL, respectively) include the correlation between expression of each gene and survival.

To determine the lymphoma type of a sample, a series of predictor models are generated. Each predictor model calculates the probability that the sample belongs to a first lymphoma type rather than a second lymphoma type. A method was developed to determine whether a sample was MCL, or one of the following lymphoma types: ABC, BL, FH, FL, GCB, MALT, PMBL, PTLD, SLL, or splenic. This method required ten different predictor models, each designed to determine whether the sample belonged to MCL or one of the other ten lymphoma types (e.g., MCL vs. ABC, MCL vs. BL, etc.).

Several of the lymphoma samples analyzed displayed a tendency towards elevated or reduced expression of genes from the lymph node and proliferation gene expression signatures. These genes are likely to be highly differentially expressed between the lymphoma types, but they do not serve as good predictor genes because they are often variably expressed within a single lymphoma type. For this reason, any gene that displayed a correlation with the proliferation or lymph node signatures was eliminated from consideration.

For each lymphoma type pair (e.g., MCL vs. ABC, MCL vs. FL, etc.), 20 genes were identified that exhibited the greatest difference in expression between MCL and the second lymphoma type according to a Student's t-test. The choice to use 20 genes was arbitrary. For each sample X, the 20 genes were used to generate a linear predictor score (LPS) according to the following formula:

${{{LPS}(X)} = {\sum\limits_{j = 1}^{20}{t_{j}X_{j}}}},$ where X_(j) is the expression of gene j in sample X and t_(j) is the t-statistic for the difference in expression of gene j between a first lymphoma type and a second lymphoma type. This is merely one method for generating an LPS. Others methods include linear discriminant analysis (Dudoit 2002), support vector machines (Furey 2000), or shrunken centroids (Tibshirani 2002). In addition, there is no requirement that a t-statistic be used as the scaling factor.

After an LPS had been formulated for each lymphoma sample, the mean and standard deviation of these LPS's was calculated for each lymphoma type. For a new sample X, Bayes' rule can be used to estimate the probability that the sample belongs to a first lymphoma type rather than a second lymphoma type (FIG. 15). In this example, Bayes' rule was used to calculate the probability q that sample X was MCL rather than a second lymphoma type using the following equation:

${q\left( {X\mspace{14mu}{is}\mspace{14mu}{type}\mspace{14mu} 1} \right)} = \frac{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)};{\hat{\mu}}_{1}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{1}} \right)}{{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)};{\hat{\mu}}_{1}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{1}} \right)} + {\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)};{\hat{\mu}}_{2}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{2}} \right)}}$ where type 1 is MCL, type 2 is one of the other nine lymphoma types, φ(x; μ, σ) is the normal density function with mean μ and standard deviation σ, {circumflex over (μ)}₁ and {circumflex over (σ)}₁ are the sample mean and variance of the LPS values for lymphoma type 1, and {circumflex over (μ)}₂ and {circumflex over (σ)}₂ are the sample mean and variance of the LPS values for lymphoma type 2.

This method was used to develop ten predictor models, one for each pairing of MCL and a second lymphoma type. A sample was classified as MCL if each of the ten predictors generated at least a 90% probability that the sample was MCL. If any of the ten predictors indicated a probability of less than 90%, the sample was classified as non-MCL.

The 10 sets of 20 genes that were included in these models and the t-statistics for each gene are presented in Tables 2381-2490.

TABLE 2381 MCL vs. ABC predictor genes UNIQID Gene name Scale Factor 1103711 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ11833 fis, clone HEMBA1006579. 17.88496416 1133111 PDE9A -- phosphodiesterase 9A 17.61579873 1137987 PLXNB1 -- plexin B1 17.47030156 1132835 SOX11 -- SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 11 16.89404131 1109505 Homo sapiens, Similar to LOC168058, clone MGC: 39372 15.78111902 IMAGE: 5089466, mRNA, complete cds 1139054 LOC58486 -- transposon-derived Buster1 transposase-like 15.77800815 protein 1119361 TIA1 -- TIA1 cytotoxic granule-associated RNA binding 15.68070962 protein 1115226 KIAA1683 -- KIAA1683 protein 15.67954057 1101211 Homo sapiens cDNA: FLJ21960 fis, clone HEP05517. 15.4183527 1118963 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ35653 fis, clone SPLEN2013690. 15.36802586 1096503 GL012 -- hypothetical protein GL012 14.64776335 1127849 SNN -- stannin 14.54859775 1099204 Homo sapiens mRNA; cDNA DKFZp586K1922 (from clone 14.32724822 DKFZp586K1922) 1098840 C3orf6 -- chromosome 3 open reading frame 6 14.10346944 1139444 RABL2B -- RAB, member of RAS oncogene family-like 2B 14.10016196 1106855 KIAA1909 -- KIAA1909 protein 13.9504946 1126695 KIAA0484 -- KIAA0484 protein 13.92285415 1120137 FCGBP -- Fc fragment of IgG binding protein 13.86147896 1133011 TMSNB -- thymosin, beta, identified in neuroblastoma cells 13.74377784 1133192 GRP3 -- guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rap1 −17.09085725

TABLE 2382 MCL vs. BL predictor genes UNIQID Gene name Scale Factor 1120900 EPHB6 -- EphB6 13.43582327 1112061 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ90513 fis, clone NT2RP3004355. 12.73065392 1109505 Homo sapiens, Similar to LOC168058, clone MGC: 39372 12.63674985 IMAGE: 5089466, mRNA, complete cds 1133099 DNASE1L3 -- deoxyribonuclease I-like 3 12.43333984 1106855 KIAA1909 -- KIAA1909 protein 12.32623489 1110070 ESTs 12.05416064 1121739 ZNF135 -- zinc finger protein 135 (clone pHZ-17) 11.90460363 1098840 C3orf6 -- chromosome 3 open reading frame 6 11.90309143 1132833 SOX11 -- SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 11 11.60864812 1121693 KIAA0450 -- KIAA0450 gene product 11.33634052 1123760 ILT7 -- leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor, subfamily A 11.18744726 (without TM domain), member 4 1125964 KIAA0792 -- KIAA0792 gene product 11.14762675 1112306 ESTs 11.02434114 1096070 DNMT3A -- DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 3 alpha 10.98991879 1129943 Homo sapiens, similar to Zinc finger protein 85 (Zinc finger 10.72494956 protein HPF4) (HTF1), clone IMAGE: 3352451, mRNA 1118749 PRKWNK1 -- protein kinase, lysine deficient 1 10.64623382 1098954 FLJ13204 -- hypothetical protein FLJ13204 10.46164401 1134749 PRKCBP1 -- protein kinase C binding protein 1 10.40948157 1131860 BIN1 -- bridging integrator 1 10.31084561 1123148 TGFBR2 -- transforming growth factor, beta receptor II 10.2956213 (70/80 kDa)

TABLE 2383 MCL vs. FH predictor genes UNIQID Gene name Scale Factor 1132834 SOX11 - SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 11 24.3531072 1100873 ESTs 16.83342764 1109603 ESTs 13.02401995 1139411 OSBPL10 - oxysterol binding protein-like 10 12.54369577 1106855 KIAA1909 - KIAA1909 protein 12.10316361 1125193 CNR1 - cannabinoid receptor 1 (brain) 12.070579 1137450 ALOX5 - arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase 11.74571823 1100258 KIAA1384 - KIAA1384 protein 11.60998697 1133167 ZFD25 - zinc finger protein (ZFD25) 11.52931491 1136831 PPFIBP2 - PTPRF interacting protein, binding protein 2 11.50062692 (liprin beta 2) 1138222 NA 10.99674674 1099437 Homo sapiens mRNA; cDNA DKFZp667B1913 (from clone 10.90797288 DKFZp667B1913) 1140236 SPAP1 - SH2 domain containing phosphatase anchor 10.77082801 protein 1 1114109 DCAL1 - dendritic cell-associated lectin-1 10.65867119 1098277 PRICKLE1 - prickle-like 1 (Drosophila) 10.55457068 1135138 CD24 - CD24 antigen (small cell lung carcinoma cluster 4 10.41999962 antigen) 1103304 Homo sapiens clone CDABP0095 mRNA sequence −10.46625233 1128460 RDGBB - retinal degeneration B beta −10.91106245 1121953 KIAA0125 - KIAA0125 gene product −11.22466255 1129281 C14orf110 - chromosome 14 open reading frame 110 −15.54465448

TABLE 2384 MCL vs. FL predictor genes UNIQID Gene name Scale Factor 1132835 SOX11 - SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 11 22.14208817 1096070 DNMT3A - DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 3 alpha 20.53740132 1103711 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ11833 fis, clone HEMBA1006579. 20.49880004 1137987 PLXNB1 - plexin B1 18.38081568 1109505 Homo sapiens, Similar to LOC168058, clone MGC: 39372 17.17812448 IMAGE: 5089466, mRNA, complete cds 1098840 C3orf6 - chromosome 3 open reading frame 6 16.32703666 1130926 C5orf13 - chromosome 5 open reading frame 13 15.34261878 1096396 SPG3A - spastic paraplegia 3A (autosomal dominant) 14.75437736 1132734 COL9A3 - collagen, type IX, alpha 3 14.684583 1139393 OPN3 - opsin 3 (encephalopsin, panopsin) 14.39118445 1115537 LOC84518 - protein related with psoriasis 14.18446144 1102215 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ11666 fis, clone HEMBA1004672. 14.16246426 1124585 Homo sapiens cDNA: FLJ21930 fis, clone HEP04301, −14.33315955 highly similar to HSU90916 Human clone 23815 mRNA sequence. 1137561 HOXA1 - homeo box A1 −15.38404642 1100581 Homo sapiens mRNA; cDNA DKFZp667A1115 (from clone −15.91666634 DKFZp667A1115) 1124646 KIAA0084 - KIAA0084 protein −16.40577696 1114543 ESTs −17.60167863 1120090 BCL6 - B-cell CLL/lymphoma 6 (zinc finger protein 51) −17.63091181 1123731 RGS13 - regulator of G-protein signalling 13 −22.41602151 1133192 GRP3 - guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rap1 −27.28308723

TABLE 2385 MCL vs. GCB predictor genes UNIQID Gene name Scale Factor 1098840 C3orf6 - chromosome 3 open reading frame 6 22.26488562 1132835 SOX11 - SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 11 17.76179754 1137987 PLXNB1 - plexin B1 16.86845147 1098954 FLJ13204 - hypothetical protein FLJ13204 16.65023669 1103711 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ11833 fis, clone HEMBA1006579. 15.64719784 1096070 DNMT3A - DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 3 alpha 15.22540494 1139393 OPN3 - opsin 3 (encephalopsin, panopsin) 14.64030565 1127849 SNN - stannin 14.28242206 1098156 Human HeLa mRNA isolated as a false positive in a two- 14.00049272 hybrid-screen. 1128845 FLJ20174 - hypothetical protein FLJ20174 13.96064416 1129943 Homo sapiens, similar to Zinc finger protein 85 (Zinc finger 13.85404507 protein HPF4) (HTF1), clone IMAGE: 3352451, mRNA 1140116 DKFZP564B116 - hypothetical protein DKFZp564B1162 13.81464172 1106855 KIAA1909 - KIAA1909 protein 13.74521849 1120900 EPHB6 - EphB6 13.46567004 1127371 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ14046 fis, clone HEMBA1006461. 13.45735668 1119361 TIA1 - TIA1 cytotoxic granule-associated RNA binding 13.37376559 protein 1120854 EDG1 - endothelial differentiation, sphingolipid G-protein- 13.1047657 coupled receptor, 1 1098277 PRICKLE1 - prickle-like 1 (Drosophila) 13.04993076 1140127 TRIM34 - tripartite motif-containing 34 12.66260609 1100581 Homo sapiens mRNA; cDNA DKFZp667A1115 (from clone −12.81251689 DKFZp667A1115)

TABLE 2386 MCL vs. MALT predictor genes UNIQID Gene name Scale Factor 1132834 SOX11 - SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 11 20.7489202 1101987 KIAA1909 - KIAA1909 protein 10.78991326 1100873 ESTs 10.11845036 1130764 HNRPA0 - heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A0 9.432459453 1102178 Homo sapiens, Similar to thymosin, beta, identified in 9.035605572 neuroblastoma cells, clone MGC: 39900 IMAGE: 5247537, mRNA, complete cds 1098277 PRICKLE1 - prickle-like 1 (Drosophila) 9.003360784 1130926 C5orf13 - chromosome 5 open reading frame 13 8.712830747 1098694 LOC112868 - hypothetical protein LOC112868 8.309789856 1103711 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ11833 fis, clone HEMBA1006579. 8.248526605 1138099 NA 8.107440225 1120854 EDG1 - endothelial differentiation, sphingolipid G-protein- 8.045872672 coupled receptor, 1 1102215 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ11666 fis, clone HEMBA1004672. 8.032351578 1121739 ZNF135 - zinc finger protein 135 (clone pHZ-17) 8.020919565 1096070 DNMT3A - DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 3 alpha 7.964477216 1101211 Homo sapiens cDNA: FLJ21960 fis, clone HEP05517. 7.738742472 1120825 CHL1 - cell adhesion molecule with homology to L1CAM 7.516130116 (close homolog of L1) 1099437 Homo sapiens mRNA; cDNA DKFZp667B1913 (from clone 7.209041652 DKFZp667B1913) 1096503 GL012 - hypothetical protein GL012 7.171540413 1135927 LILRA2 - leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor, 7.134470829 subfamily A (with TM domain), member 2 1120645 FADS3 - fatty acid desaturase 3 7.039952979

TABLE 2387 MCL vs. PMBL predictor genes UNIQID Gene name Scale Factor 1132834 SOX11 - SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 11 28.17593839 1100873 ESTs 17.90004832 1096503 GL012 - hypothetical protein GL012 17.43982729 1098840 C3orf6 - chromosome 3 open reading frame 6 17.37421052 1124734 NA 16.73821457 1135102 PRKCB1 - protein kinase C, beta 1 16.67436366 1103711 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ11833 fis, clone HEMBA1006579. 16.57202026 1140416 TOSO - regulator of Fas-induced apoptosis 15.64802242 1121757 ADRB2 - adrenergic, beta-2-, receptor, surface 15.57336633 1140236 SPAP1 - SH2 domain containing phosphatase anchor 15.20264513 protein 1 1099140 ESTs, Moderately similar to hypothetical protein FLJ20378 15.11929571 [Homo sapiens] [H. sapiens] 1099549 ESTs 14.92883027 1139054 LOC58486 - transposon-derived Buster1 transposase-like 14.63422275 protein 1138818 ILF3 - interleukin enhancer binding factor 3, 90 kDa 14.50621028 1109444 ESTs, Highly similar to IL24₋ HUMAN Interleukin-24 14.20430672 precursor (Suppression of tumorigenicity 16 protein) (Melanoma differentiation associated protein 7) (MDA-7) [H. sapiens] 1124534 KIAA0553 - KIAA0553 protein 14.18537487 1098277 PRICKLE1 - prickle-like 1 (Drosophila) 13.98526258 1131687 TLK1 - tousled-like kinase 1 13.97468703 1125112 PLCL2 - phospholipase C-like 2 13.85714318 1125397 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ33389 fis, clone BRACE2006871. 13.85049805

TABLE 2388 MCL vs. PTLD predictor genes UNIQID Gene name Scale Factor 1109603 ESTs 19.95553782 1138222 NA 15.95397369 1135138 CD24 - CD24 antigen (small cell lung carcinoma cluster 4 15.89198725 antigen) 1134230 RASGRP2 - RAS guanyl releasing protein 2 (calcium and 15.80452978 DAG-regulated) 1139411 OSBPL10 - oxysterol binding protein-like 10 14.32818885 1140416 TOSO - regulator of Fas-induced apoptosis 13.89685188 1132834 SOX11 - SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 11 13.78424818 1121739 ZNF135 - zinc finger protein 135 (clone pHZ-17) 13.02195529 1098156 Human HeLa mRNA isolated as a false positive in a two- 12.95032505 hybrid-screen. 1099270 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ30555 fis, clone 12.7877735 BRAWH2003818. 1139012 FLJ20373 - hypothetical protein FLJ20373 12.70176225 1120854 EDG1 - endothelial differentiation, sphingolipid G-protein- 12.25264341 coupled receptor, 1 1120985 KIAA0053 - KIAA0053 gene product 12.04626201 1115952 LOC146517 - hypothetical protein LOC146517 11.96299478 1120825 CHL1 - cell adhesion molecule with homology to L1CAM 11.82402907 (close homolog of L1) 1131636 SPOCK2 - sparc/osteonectin, cwcv and kazal-like 11.80417657 domains proteoglycan (testican) 2 1136706 MYT1 - myelin transcription factor 1 11.74962191 1113560 Homo sapiens, clone IMAGE: 5725893, mRNA 11.72049882 1133851 P4HA1 - procollagen-proline, 2-oxoglutarate 4- −12.59876059 dioxygenase (proline 4-hydroxylase), alpha polypeptide I 1137459 BCAT1 - branched chain aminotransferase 1, cytosolic −14.00465411

TABLE 2389 MCL vs. SLL predictor genes UNIQID Gene name Scale Factor 1132834 SOX11 - SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 11 23.59602107 1101987 KIAA1909 - KIAA1909 protein 14.50254794 1103711 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ11833 fis, clone HEMBA1006579. 13.31375894 1096070 DNMT3A - DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 3 alpha 12.37453972 1130926 C5orf13 - chromosome 5 open reading frame 13 11.27840239 1120645 FADS3 - fatty acid desaturase 3 11.14057287 1138099 NA 10.92729287 1097887 KIAA0303 - KIAA0303 protein 10.37913127 1099941 ESTs 10.33953409 1130373 KIAA0303 - KIAA0303 protein 10.01524528 1110957 SYNE2 - spectrin repeat containing, nuclear envelope 2 9.865436185 1130320 ESTs 9.807091644 1124373 LPIN1 - lipin 1 9.024985551 1128813 KREMEN2 - kringle containing transmembrane protein 2 8.903791941 1131130 MARCKS - myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C 8.688979176 substrate 1120825 CHL1 - cell adhesion molecule with homology to L1CAM 8.685132271 (close homolog of L1) 1119752 BASP1 - brain abundant, membrane attached signal 8.663402838 protein 1 1131854 GCLC - glutamate-cysteine ligase, catalytic subunit −8.761521136 1105801 Homo sapiens mRNA; cDNA DKFZp686H1529 (from clone −8.828675125 DKFZp686H1529) 1097824 MAP2 - microtubule-associated protein 2 −9.345688564

TABLE 2390 MCL vs. splenic predictor genes UNIQID Gene name Scale Factor 1106855 KIAA1909 - KIAA1909 protein 14.48278638 1121739 ZNF135 - zinc finger protein 135 (clone pHZ-17) 11.95918572 1111850 Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ36977 fis, clone BRACE2006344. 11.13464157 1098024 KIAA1972 - KIAA1972 protein 10.10869886 1130764 HNRPA0 - heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A0 10.06898534 1135342 SHOX2 - short stature homeobox 2 9.565884385 1097218 MGC45400 - hypothetical protein MGC45400 9.187725705 1117193 RINZF - zinc finger protein RINZF 9.12522795 1139564 PSMD10 - proteasome (prosome, macropain) 26S 9.066714773 subunit, non-ATPase, 10 1132834 SOX11 - SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 11 8.908574745 1131130 MARCKS - myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C 8.732921026 substrate 1131756 PDCD4 - programmed cell death 4 (neoplastic 8.441424593 transformation inhibitor) 1102187 DKFZp586C102 - hypothetical protein DKFZp586C1021 8.391861029 1098195 DKFZp762C111 - hypothetical protein DKFZp762C1112 8.349839204 1101211 Homo sapiens cDNA: FLJ21960 fis, clone HEP05517. 8.337208237 1136673 GNAS - GNAS complex locus 8.254076655 1139116 USP16 - ubiquitin specific protease 16 8.179384251 1098694 LOC112868 - hypothetical protein LOC112868 7.935903681 1120519 WWP2 - Nedd-4-like ubiquitin-protein ligase −7.881202253 1114916 FLJ13993 - hypothetical protein FLJ13993 −8.33683119

With so many candidate predictor genes being utilized, it is possible to generate a predictor model that accurately predicts every element of a training set but fails to perform on an independent sample. This occurs because the model incorporated and “learns” the individual characteristics of each sample in the training set. Leave-one-out cross-validation was used to verify that the prediction models generated above would work on independent samples that the models had not encountered previously. In this cross-validation method, a single sample is removed from the training set, and the predictor is developed again using the remaining data. The resulting model is then used to predict the sample that was removed. This method is repeated with each individual sample taken out. Since no sample is predicted from a model that includes that sample, this method provides an unbiased estimate of predictor accuracy.

When the predictors developed above were evaluated by leave-one-out cross-validation, all but one of the 21 MCL samples were correctly identified as MCL and none of the 489 non-MCL samples were mistakenly identified as MCL.

Example 13 Identification of Lymphoma Samples as MCL Based on Bayesian Analysis of Gene Expression Data from a Lymphochip Microarray

Lymphoma samples with morphology consistent with MCL were identified by pathological review. Since t(11;14) translocation and cyclin D1 overexpression have been consistently associated with MCL, cyclin D1 mRNA levels were measured in each sample by quantitative RT-PCR. Of the 101 samples analyzed, 92 expressed cyclin D1 mRNA. These 92 samples, which were deemed the “core group” of MCLs, were divided into a training set and a validation set. Gene expression was measured in all 101 samples using a Lymphochip microarray (Alizadeh 1999). For comparison, gene expression was measure in 20 samples identified as SLL. In addition, MCL expression data was compared to expression data obtained previously for GCB (134 cases) and ABC (83 cases) (Rosenwald 2002). Several thousand genes were differentially expressed between cyclin D1-positive MCL and the other lymphoma types with high statistical significance (p<0.001). A complete listing of these genes is available at Rosenwald et al., Cancer Cell, 3: 185-197 (2003), which is referenced therein at page 194 and which is hosted by the Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project Gateways at the National Institute of Health web site.

Three different binary predictor models were developed: MCL vs. SLL, MCL vs. GCB, and MCL vs. ABC. Each of these models was designed to calculate the probability that a sample was MCL rather than the other lymphoma type in the pair. For each pair, the genes that were most differentially expressed between MCL and the other lymphoma type in the pair were identified, and the difference in expression between the lymphoma types was quantified using a Student's t-test. An LPS was then calculated for each sample using the following formula:

${{{LPS}(X)} = {\sum\limits_{j \in G}{t_{j}X_{j}}}},$ where X_(j) is the expression of gene j in sample X and t_(j) is the t-statistic for the difference in expression of gene j between the two lymphoma types in the pair. Cyclin D1 was excluded from the calculation of LPS so that the model could be used to identify potential MCL cases that were cyclin, D1 negative.

After an LPS had been formulated for each lymphoma sample, the mean and standard deviation of these LPS's was calculated for each lymphoma type. For a new sample X, Bayes' rule can be used to estimate the probability q that the sample belongs to MCL rather than the second lymphoma type in the pair using the following equation:

${q\left( {X\mspace{14mu}{is}\mspace{11mu}{MCL}} \right)} = \frac{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)};{\hat{\mu}}_{MCL}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{MCL}} \right)}{{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)};{\hat{\mu}}_{MCL}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{MCL}} \right)} + {\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)};{\hat{\mu}}_{2}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{2}} \right)}}$ where φ(x; μ, σ) is the normal density function with mean μ and standard deviation σ, {circumflex over (μ)}_(MCL) and {circumflex over (σ)}_(MCL) are the sample mean and variance of the LPS values for MCL, and {circumflex over (μ)}₂ and {circumflex over (σ)}₂ are the sample mean and variance of the LPS values for the second lymphoma type of the pair. A cut-off point of 90% was selected for assigning a sample to a particular lymphoma type. Every sample in the training set was classified correctly using this model (FIG. 16). When applied to the validation set, the model correctly classified 98% of the cyclin D1-positive MCL cases as MCL (FIG. 16).

This diagnostic test was applied to nine lymphoma cases that were morphologically consistent with MCL, but negative for cyclin D1 expression. Seven of these samples were classified as MCL, one was classified as GCB, and one was not assigned to any lymphoma type because none of the pairs generated a probability of 90% or greater.

Example 14 Classification of DLBCL Samples Based on Bayesian Analysis of Gene Expression Data from the Lymphochip Microarray

A statistical method to classify DLBCL samples based on Bayesian analysis was developed using gene expression data obtained using the Lymphochip cDNA microarray (Rosenwald 2002). The data was divided into two sets: a training set used to create and optimize the prediction model, and a validation set to evaluate the performance of the model. The training set consisted of 42 ABC DLBCL samples and 67 GCB DLBCL samples, while the validation set consisted of 41 ABC DLBCL samples, 67 GCB DLBCL samples, and 57 type 3 DLBCL samples (Shipp 2002).

Genes that were listed as present on >50% of the samples were identified, and the signal value for these genes on each microarray was normalized to 1,000. After normalization, all signal values under 50 were set to 50. A 1092 transformation was then performed on all the signal values.

An LPS for distinguishing between two lymphoma types was calculated for each sample X in the training set using an equation:

${{{LPS}(X)} = {\sum\limits_{j}{t_{j}X_{j}}}},$ where X_(j) represents the expression level of gene j and t_(j) is a scaling factor whose value depends on the difference in expression of gene j between the two lymphoma types. The scaling factor used in this example was the t-statistic generated by a t test of the difference in gene j expression between two lymphoma types. Only those genes with the largest t-statistics were included when calculating the LPS for each sample. The list of genes used to generate the LPS was narrowed further by including only those genes that were most variably expressed within the training set. Only genes in the top third with respect to variance were included. Genes that displayed a correlation with proliferation or lymph node signatures (Shaffer 2001; Rosenwald 2002) were eliminated from consideration, because these genes are often variably expressed within samples from a single lymphoma type (Rosenwald 2002).

Since the LPS is a linear combination of gene expression values, its distribution within each lymphoma type should be approximately normal, provided that it includes a sufficient number of genes and the correlation structure of those genes is not extreme. The mean and variance of these normal distributions within a lymphoma type can then be estimated from the combined LPS's of all samples within the type. The LPS distribution of two lymphoma types can be used to estimate the probability that a new sample belongs to one of the types using Bayes' rule. The probability q that a sample Y belongs to lymphoma type 1 can be determined by an equation:

${q\left( {Y\mspace{14mu}{is}\mspace{14mu}{subtype}\mspace{14mu} 1} \right)} = \frac{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(Y)};{\hat{\mu}}_{1}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{1}} \right)}{{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(Y)};{\hat{\mu}}_{1}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{1}} \right)} + {\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(Y)};{\hat{\mu}}_{2}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{2}} \right)}}$ where φ(x; μ,σ) is the normal density function with mean μ and standard deviation σ, and {circumflex over (μ)}₁ and {circumflex over (σ)}₁ are the sample mean and variance of the LPS values for lymphoma type 1, and {circumflex over (μ)}₂ and {circumflex over (σ)}₂ are the sample mean and variance of the LPS values for lymphoma type 2. This calculation was used to determine the probability that each sample in that each sample in the training set belonged to GCB or ABC. A sample was classified as a particular type if it had a 90% or greater probability of belonging to that type. The number of genes in the predictor model was optimized based on the accuracy with which the predictor classified samples into the ABC or GCB subtypes defined previously by hierarchical clustering (Rosenwald 2002). The final predictor incorporated 27 genes, and correctly classified 87% of the training set samples into the subtype to which they had been assigned by hierarchical clustering (FIG. 17). The genes included in the predictor are listed in Table 2391.

TABLE 2391 UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Gene symbol 19375 235860 FOXP1 19346 109150 SH3BP5 19227 193857 LOC96597 16049 439852 IGHM 32529 55098 C3orf6 24729 127686 IRF4 24899 81170 PIM1 19348 NA NA 27565 444105 ENTPD1 17227 170359 IL16 26919 118722 FUT8 24321 171262 ETV6 29385 167746 BLNK 16858 376071 CCND2 31801 386140 BMF 19234 418004 PTPN1 26385 307734 MME 24361 388737 NA 24570 446198 NA 24904 18166 KIAA0870 24429 155024 BCL6 28224 387222 NEK6 27673 124922 LRMP 24376 317970 SERPINA11 17496 300592 MYBL1 17218 283063 LMO2 28338 78877 ITPKB

Since the samples used to estimate the distribution of the LPS's were the same samples used to generate the model, there was a possibility of overfitting. Overfitting would result in a model that indicates a larger separation between the LPS's of two lymphoma types than would be found in independent data. To ensure that overfitting was not taking place, the model was tested on the validation set. The reproducibility of the predictor model was verified by its ability to correctly classify 88% of the samples in the validation set (FIG. 18). Interestingly, 56% of the DLBCL samples that had been placed in the type 3 subtype by hierarchical clustering were classified as either ABC or GCB using this Bayesian model.

In previous experiments, the genes that were used to distinguish GCB and ABC were deliberately selected to include those that were preferentially expressed in normal GCB cells (Alizadeh 2000; Rosenwald 2002). In the present analysis, the predictor model was not biased a priori to include such genes. The ABC and GCB lymphoma types as defined by the Bayesian model were analyzed for differential expression of GCB cell restricted genes. Thirty seven genes were found to be both more highly expressed in GCB cells than at other stages of differentiation (p<0.001) and differentially expressed between DLBCL subtypes (p<0.001) (FIG. 19A). These 37 genes are listed in Table 2392.

TABLE 2392 UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Gene symbol 28014 300592 MYBL1 24376 317970 SERPINA11 24429 155024 BCL6 16886 124922 LRMP 27374 283063 LMO2 29912 446198 24510 266175 PAG 24854 439767 TOX 32171 307734 MME 24361 388737 19365 171857 Cyorf15a 27292 272251 KLHL5 24822 283794 PCDHGC3 30923 446195 24825 88556 HDAC1 31696 91139 SLC1A1 26976 434281 PTK2 19279 49614 GCET2 17866 1765 LCK 24386 437459 MYO1E 33013 293130 VNN2 25126 30498 157441 SPI1 26512 379414 MFHAS1 26582 153260 SH3KBP1 17840 132311 MAP2K1 26000 25155 NET1 24323 149342 AICDA 30922 435904 C21orf107 30641 79299 LHFPL2 19308 179608 DHRS9 24455 405387 30034 300208 SEC23IP 24977 169939 HS2ST1 24449 206097 RRAS2 30763 446198 27987 73792 CR2 All but two (AICDA and DHRS9) of these 37 genes were more highly expressed in GCB than in ABC. This demonstrates that the DLBCL subtypes defined by the Bayesian predictor seem to differ with respect to their cell of origin, with GCB retaining the gene expression program of normal GC B cells.

ABC, on the other hand, displayed higher expression of genes characteristic of plasma cells (FIG. 19B). Twenty four genes were found to be both more highly expressed in plasma cells than in B cells at earlier developmental stages (p<0.001) and differentially expressed between the DLBCL subtypes (p<0.001). These 24 genes are listed in Table 2393.

TABLE 2393 UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Gene symbol 16614 127686 IRF4 26907 118722 FUT8 31104 313544 NS 19219 355724 CFLAR 26174 28707 SSR3 24566 169948 KCNA3 34500 442808 B4GALT2 26991 314828 UPP1 30191 438695 FKBP11 27402 259855 EEF2K 26096 434937 PPIB 15887 2128 DUSP5 32440 512686 C20orf59 34827 429975 PM5 29232 437638 XBP1 17763 76640 RGC32 32163 445862 RAB30 17814 5353 CASP10 31460 409223 SSR4 26693 83919 GCS1 25130 409563 PACAP 16436 267819 PPP1R2 31610 76901 PDIR 28961 212296 ITGA6 The majority of these plasma cell-restricted genes were more highly expressed in ABC than in GCB. Eight of the 32 genes encode proteins that reside and function in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or Golgi apparatus, suggesting that ABCs have increased the intracellular machinery for protein secretion. These eight genes are denoted in the above listed by designation “ER” or “golgi” in parentheses. Another gene on this list, XBP-1 transcription factor, encodes a protein that is required for plasma cell differentiation (Reimold 2001) and is involved in the response to unfolded proteins in the ER (Calfon 2002). ABCs have not undergone full plasmacytic differentiation, however, because other key plasma cell genes such as Blimp-1 were not more highly expressed in ABC.

Example 15 Classification of DLBCL Samples Based on Bayesian Analysis of Gene Expression Data from the Affymetrix HU6800 Microarray

The prediction method described in Example 14 above was applied to gene expression data from 58 DLBCL samples obtained using an Affymetrix HU6800 oligonucleotide microarray (Shipp 2002). The first step in analyzing this data was to exclude all microarray features with a median signal value of <200 across the samples. Multiple microarray features representing the same gene were then averaged. Of the 27 genes in the DLBCL subtype predictor developed using the Lymphochip data (above), only 14 were represented on the Affymetrix array and passed this filtering process. These 14 genes are listed in Table 2394.

TABLE 2394 UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Gene symbol 24729 127686 IRF4 17227 170359 IL16 26907 118722 FUT8 27565 444105 ENTPD1 16858 376071 CCND2 24899 81170 PIM1 16947 418004 PTPN1 16049 439852 IGHM 26385 307734 MME 27673 124922 LRMP 24429 155024 BCL6 17218 283063 LMO2 28338 78877 ITPKB 17496 300592 MYBL1 These 14 genes were used to create a new DLBCL subtype predictor in which the LPS scaling coefficients were again calculated based on the DLBCL subtype distinction in the Lymphochip data set (Rosenwald 2002). To account for systematic measuring differences between the Affymetrix and Lymphochip microarrays, the expression value of each gene on the Affymetrix microarray was shifted and scaled to match the mean and variance of the corresponding expression values on the Lymphochip. The adjusted expression values for each of the 14 genes were then used to calculate LPS's for each sample. DLBCL subtype membership was again assigned on a cut-off of 90% certainty. Several observations suggested that the predictor identified ABC and GCB samples within the Affymetrix data set that were comparable to those found in the Lymphochip data set. First, the relative proportions of ABC (29%) and GCB (53%) were very similar to the corresponding proportions in the Lymphochip data set (34% and 49%, respectively). Second, 43 genes were found to be differentially expressed between the two DLBCL subtypes with high significance (p<0.001) in the Affymetrix data. This number is substantially higher than would be expected by chance, given that the Affymetrix microarray measures the expression of approximately 5,720 genes. The symbols for these 43 genes were: IGHM; TCF4; IRF4; CCND2; SLA; BATF; KIM0171; PRKCB1; P2RX5; GOT2; SPIB; CSNK1E; PIM2; MARCKS; PIM1; TPM2; FUT8; CXCR4; SP140; BCL2; PTPN1; KIAA0084; HLA-DMB; ACP1; HLA-DQA1; RTVP1; VCL; RPL21; ITPKB; SLAM; KRT8; DCK; PLEK; SCA1; PSIP2; FAM3C; GPR18; HMG14; CSTB; SPINK2; LRMP; MYBL1; and LMO2. Third, the 43 genes differentially expressed between the types included 22 genes that were not used in the predictor but were represented on Lymphochip arrays. Fourteen of these 22 genes were differentially expressed on the Lymphochip array with high statistical significance (p<0.001). Finally, the expression of the c-rel gene was previously found to correspond to amplification of the c-rel genomic locus in DLBCL tumor cells, and oncogenic event occurring in GCB but not ABC (Rosenwald 2002). In the Affymetrix data set, c-rel was differentially expressed between the two subtypes (p=0.0025), and was highly expressed only in a subset of GCB's.

Example 16 Identification of DLBCL Samples as PMBL Based on Bayesian Analysis of Gene Expression Data from the Lymphochip Microarray

310 lymphoma biopsy samples identified as DLBCL by a panel of hematopathologists were divided into a 36 sample training set and a 274 sample validation set, with the validation set consisting of the DLBCL samples as classified previously in Example 14. All patients from whom the samples were derived had been treated with anthracycline-containing multiagent chemotherapy protocols, with some patients additionally receiving radiation therapy. The training set was profiled for gene expression using Lymphochip microarrays comprising 15, 133 cDNA elements as described previously (Alizadeh 2000). This data is available at the web site companion for Rosenwald et al., J. Exp. Med., 198: 851-862 (2003), which is referenced therein at page 852 and which is hosted by Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project Gateway at the National Institute of Health web site. The validation set had previously been profiled using Lymphochip microarrays comprising 12,196 cDNA elements (Rosenwald 2002). This data is available at the web site companion for Rosenwald et al., New Eng. J. Med., 346: 1937-1947 (2002), which is referenced therein at page 1938 and which is hosted by the Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project Gateway at the National Institute of Health web site.

A hierarchical clustering algorithm (Eisen 1998) was used to organize the genes by their expression patterns across the 36 samples in the training set. A large group of genes that were more highly expressed in lymphomas with mediastinal involvement than in other DLBCLs was shown to be tightly clustered in the resulting dendrogram (FIG. 20A). This cluster of genes included two genes, MAL and FIG1, previously shown to be highly expressed in PMBL (Copie-Bergman 2002; Copie-Bergman 2003). Several of the lymphomas with mediastinal involvement did not express this set of putative PMBL signature genes, and it was suspected that these samples were more likely to be conventional DLBCL than PMBL. Hierarchical clustering was used to organize the samples according to their expression of the PMBL signature genes, resulting in two major clusters of cases (FIG. 20B). One cluster contained 21 samples designated “PMBL core” samples by virtue of their higher expression of PMBL signature genes. The other cluster contained some samples that had virtually no expression of these genes, and other samples that did express these genes but at lower levels than the PMBL core samples.

A gene expression-based method for distinguishing PMBL core cases from GCB and ABC DLBCL cases based on Bayesian analysis was developed using the methods described in Examples 14 and 15. A set of genes were selected that were differentially expressed between the PMBL core samples and both GCB and ABC (p<0.001). This set of genes included all of the PMBL signature genes identified by hierarchical clustering (FIG. 20A), as well as a large number of additional genes. Many of the genes in this set belonged to the lymph node gene expression signature (Alizadeh 2000; Rosenwald 2002). These genes were excluded from the final predictor because they might cause some DLBCL samples with higher expression of lymph node gene expression signature genes to be misclassified as PMBL. The list of PMBL distinction genes was refined by adding a requirement that they also be differentially expressed between the PMBL core samples and a subgroup of six DLBCL samples with higher expression of lymph node gene expression signature genes (p<0.001). The resulting set of 46 genes included 35 genes that were more highly expressed in PMBL and 11 genes that were more highly expressed in DLBCL (FIG. 21A). The 46 genes in this set were PDL2, SNFT, IL13RA1, FGFR1, FLJ10420, CCL17/TARC, TNFRSF8/CD30, E2F2, MAL, TNFSF4/OX40 ligand, IL411/Fig1, IMAGE:686580, BST2, FLJ31131, FCER2/CD23, SAMSN1, JAK2, FLJ0066, MST1R, TRAF1, SLAM, LY75, TNFRSF6/Fas, FNBP1, TLR7, TNFRSF17/BCMA, CDKN1A/p21CIP1, RGS9, IMAGE:1340506, NFKB2, KIM0339, ITGAM, IL23A, SPINT2, MEF2A, PFDN5, ZNF141, IMAGE:4154313, IMAGE:825382, DLEU1, ITGAE, SH3BP5, BANK, TCL1A, PRKAR1B, and CARD11. A series of linear predictor scores were generated based on the expression of this gene set. Based on the distribution of linear predictor scores within a particular lymphoma type, Bayes' rule can be used to estimate the probability that a particular sample belongs to either of the two types. An arbitrary probability cut-off of 90% or greater was used to classify a sample as a particular lymphoma type. All of the PMBL core samples were classified as PMBL using this method, as were six of the other lymphoma samples with mediastinal involvement. However, nine of the lymphoma samples with mediastinal involvement were classified as a DLBCL, as were all of the GCB and ABC samples.

In the validation set, 11 samples were identified on clinical grounds as being consistent with a diagnosis of PMBL, and the Bayesian model classified nine of these as PMBL (FIG. 21B). Interestingly, 12 of the remaining 263 DLBCL samples were classified as PMBL by the predictor. FIG. 21B shows that these cases were indistinguishable by gene expression from the nine cases diagnosed as PMBL on clinical grounds. As expected, the average expression of the PMBL predictor genes in the 249 samples classified as DLBCL was notably lower than in the 22 PMBL cases. Thus, PMBL represents a third subgroup of DLBCL than can be distinguished from ABC and GCB by gene expression profiling.

Table 2395 compares the clinical parameters of patients assigned to the PMBL, ABC, and GCB subgroups of DLBCL using this prediction method.

TABLE 2395 ABC GCB PMBL PMBL PMBL DLBCL DLBCL Training set Validation set All cases P value Median age 66 61 33 33 33 4.4E−16 Age <35 5% 10% 52% 56% 53% 7.2E−14 Age 35-60 29% 38% 44% 28% 37% Age >60 66% 52% 4% 17% 9% Gender = male 59% 53% 44% 50% 47% 0.38 Female <35 2% 3% 32% 39% 35% 1.1E−12 Male <35 2% 7% 20% 17% 19% Female 35-60 6% 18% 24% 6% 16% Male 35-60 23% 19% 20% 22% 21% Female >60 33% 25% 0% 6% 2% Male >60 34% 27% 4% 11% 7% PMBL patients were significantly younger than other DLBCL patients, with a median age at diagnosis of 33 years compared with a median age of 66 and 61 years for ABC and GCB patients, respectively. Although there was no significant difference in gender distribution among the DLBCL subgroups, young women (<35 years) accounted for 35% of PMBL patients, more than any other DLBCL subgroup. Young men (<35 years) were also more frequently represented in the PMBL subgroup, accounting for 19% of the patients. Correspondingly, older men and women (age >60) were significantly underrepresented in the PMBL subgroup. These clinical characteristics were observed in both the training set and the validation set of PMBL cases, demonstrating that the PMBL predictor reproducibly identified a clinically distinct subgroup of DLBCL patients.

The PMBL subgroup defined by the PMBL predictor had a relatively favorable overall survival rate after therapy (FIG. 22). PMBL patients had a five-year survival rate of 64%, superior to the 46% rate seen in DLBCL patients as a whole (p=0.0067). The survival of the PMBL subgroup was significantly better than the 30% five-year survival rate of the ABC subgroup (FIG. 22; p=5.8E-5), but only marginally better than the 59% five-year survival rate of the GCB subgroup (p=0.18).

Example 17 Classification of Lymphomas into Types Based on Bayesian Analysis of Gene Expression Data from the Lymph Dx Microarray

Based on the clustering of the Lymph Dx microarray signals for the DLBCL samples, a cluster of “proliferation signature” genes and a cluster of “lymph node signature” genes were identified. The expression of these genes was averaged to form a proliferation signature and a lymph node signature. Each gene represented on the Lymph Dx microarray was placed into one of three “gene-list categories” based on its correlation with the proliferation or lymph node gene signatures. “Proliferation” genes were defined as those genes for which the correlation between their expression and the proliferation signature was greater than 0.35. Lymph node genes were defined as those genes for which the correlation between their expression and the lymph node signature was greater than 0.35. The remaining genes on the array were classified as standard genes. This classification resulted in 323 proliferation genes and 375 lymph node genes.

Two stages of lymphoma classification were performed using the gene expression data obtained for the above samples using the Lymph Dx microarray. The general procedure used to classify the samples is presented in flow chart form in FIG. 1.

For the first stage of expression analysis, the samples were divided into five types: FL, MCL, SLL, FH, and a class of aggressive lymphomas that included DLBCL and BL. Samples obtained from subjects with other diagnoses (e.g., MALT, LPC) were omitted from this analysis. Data from the Lymph Dx microarray was then used to compare gene expression in each possible lymphoma type pair (e.g., FH vs. FL, MCL vs. SLL, etc.). This resulted in the creation of ten “pair-wise models” (one for each possible lymphoma type pair) for predicting whether a sample fell into a particular lymphoma type.

For each lymphoma type pair, the difference in expression between the two types for every gene on the microarray was calculated, and a t-statistic was generated to represent this difference. Within each gene-list category (proliferation, lymph node, and standard), individual genes were ordered based on the absolute value of their t-statistic. Only those genes that displayed a statistically significant difference in expression between the two types were included in the model. Those genes with largest absolute t-statistics in each gene-list category were then used to generate a linear predictor score (LPS) for each sample. For a sample X and a set of genes G, the LPS was defined as:

${{{LPS}(X)} = {\sum\limits_{j \in G}{t_{j}X_{j}}}},$ where X_(j) is the expression of gene j in the sample and t_(j) is the t-statistic representing the difference in expression of gene j between the two lymphoma types. This formulation of LPS, known as the compound covariate predictor, has previously been used successfully (Radmacher 2002; Rosenwald 2003a; Wright 2003). Other ways to formulate an LPS include Fisher linear discriminant analysis (Dudoit 2002), weighted voting (Golub 1999), linear support vector machines (Ramaswamy 2001), and nearest shrunken centroids (Tibshirani 2002).

In order to optimize the number of genes used to generate the LPS, a series of LPS's were generated for each sample using between five and 100 genes from each gene-list category. The optimal number of genes is that number which generates a maximum t-statistic when comparing the LPS of two samples from different lymphoma types (FIG. 23). This optimization procedure was repeated for every gene-list category in every pair-wise model, meaning that 30 optimizations were performed in all.

It was recognized that for some pair-wise models, it would be useful to calculate LPS's using different combinations of gene-list categories. LPS's were calculated for each sample using four different combinations. In the first, LPS was calculated using the standard genes only. In the second, LPS's were calculated for both the standard and proliferation genes, but not the lymph node genes. In the third, LPS's were calculated for both the standard and lymph node genes, but not the proliferation genes. In the fourth, LPS's were calculated using all three gene-list categories.

Depending on the number of gene-list categories included, between one and three LPS's were calculated for each sample in the pair-wise models. Thus, each sample could be thought of as a vector in a space of between one and three dimensions. Since the LPS's were sums of individual expressions, it was reasonable to approximate the distributions as normal. Multivariate normal distributions are defined by two quantities: a mean vector, which indicates the average value of each of the models within a given lymphoma type, and a covariance matrix, which indicates the magnitude and orientation spread of points away from this center. Both of these quantities can be estimated empirically from the observed data. FIG. 24 shows the Standard and Proliferation LPS's for the FL vs. DLBCL/BL pair-wise model. The dotted lines indicate the standard deviations from the fitted multivariate normal distributions.

Once the multidimensional distributions have been estimated, Bayes' rule (Bayes 1763) can be used to estimate the probability that a given sample belongs to one lymphoma type or another. Bayesian analysis of an LPS has been successfully employed in the past to distinguish DLBCL subtypes (Rosenwald 2003a, Wright 2003). For a sample X, the probability q of the sample belonging to a first lymphoma type rather than a second lymphoma type can be calculated using the formula:

$q = \frac{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)};{\hat{\mu}}_{1}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{1}} \right)}{{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)};{\hat{\mu}}_{1}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{1}} \right)} + {\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)};{\hat{\mu}}_{2}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{2}} \right)}}$ where LPS(X) is the linear predictor score for sample X, φ(x; μ, σ) is the normal density function with mean μ and standard deviation σ, {circumflex over (μ)}₁ and {circumflex over (σ)}₁ are the mean and variance of the LPS's for the first lymphoma type, and {circumflex over (μ)}₂ and {circumflex over (σ)}₂ are the mean and variance of the LPS's for the second lymphoma type. Using this equation, a single probability q value can be developed for each sample and for each of the four LPS combinations. This q value can then be used to classify a sample as a first lymphoma type, a second lymphoma type, or unclassified. Samples with the highest q values are classified as the first lymphoma type, while samples with the lowest q values are classified as the second lymphoma type. Samples with middle range q values are deemed unclassified. Classifying the samples in this manner requires two cut-off points: a lower cut-off point between the second lymphoma type and unclassified, and an upper cut-off point between unclassified and the first lymphoma type. To develop these cut-off points, samples were ordered by their q values, and each possible cut-off point between adjacent samples was considered. To ensure that the cut-off points were reasonable, the lower cut-off point was restricted to between 0.01 and 0.5 and the upper cut-off point was restricted to between 0.5 and 0.99.

Every cut-off point and model combination was analyzed by the following equation: 3.99*[(% of type 1 misidentified as type 2)+(% of type 2 misidentified as type 1)]+[(% of type 1 unclassified)+(% of type 2 misidentified)]. Using this equation, the cut-off point would be adjusted to allow an additional error only if this adjustment resulted in four or more unclassified samples becoming correctly classified. The final model and cut-off point for a given pair-wise analysis was that which minimized this equation. The equation utilizes percentages rather than the actual number of cases in order to account for the different number of samples in each class.

All cut-off points between a given pair of adjacent q-values will produce the same division of data. Since cut-off point optimality is defined in terms of dividing the data into subtypes, all cut-off points between a pair of borderline cases will be equally optimal. In choosing where to place the actual cut-off point values, values were chosen that would lead to a larger unclassified region. When the lower cut-off point was being defined, a value would be chosen that was ⅕ of the way from the smallest borderline case to the largest. When the upper cut-off point was being defined, a value would be chosen that was ⅘ of the way from the smallest borderline case to the largest. FIG. 25 illustrates the q-results of optimizing the cut-point for the FL versus DLBCL/BL samples. The optimal lower cut-off point for these samples was found at q=0.49, while the optimal upper cut-off point was found at q=0.84. FIG. 26 indicates how this choice of cut-off points divided the space of LPS's.

The above procedures resulted in a series of pair-wise models for comparing every lymphoma type to every other lymphoma type. If there are n types, then there will be n−1 pair-wise models for each type. Since there were five lymphoma types in the stage 1 analysis, each type was involved in 4 pair-wise models. For instance, there were four different pair-wise models for MCL: MCL vs. FH, MCL vs. FL, MCL vs. SLL, and MCL vs. DLBCL/BL. For each sample tested, each pair-wise model will produce one of three possible results: 1) the sample belongs to the first lymphoma type of the pair-wise model, 2) the sample belongs to the second lymphoma type of the pair-wise model, or 3) the sample is unclassified. If each of the n−1 models agrees that the sample belongs to a particular lymphoma type, then the sample is designated as belonging to that type. If the n−1 models do not all agree that the sample belongs to a particular lymphoma type, the sample is designated as unclassified.

To ensure that the above methods did not result in overfitting (i.e., models that fit particular idiosyncrasies of the training set but fail when applied to independent data), the models were validated by leave-one-out cross-validation fashion (Hills 1966). Each sample was removed from the data one at a time, and a predictive model was developed as described above using the remaining data. This model was then used to predict the sample that was removed. Since the model being used to predict a given sample was generated from data that did not include that sample, this method provided an unbiased estimate of the accuracy of the model.

The results of the leave-one-out predictions are set forth in Tables 2396 and 2397, below. The rows in each table correspond to different sample groups, while the columns indicate the prediction results. The standard to which the prediction results were compared in this stage was the diagnoses of a panel of eight expert hematopathologists who used histological morphology and immunohistochemistry to classify the samples. Table 2396 provides classification results for the five lymphoma types tested (DLBCL/BL, FL, FH, MCL, SLL), while Table 2397 provides more specific results for classification of subtypes within these five lymphoma types. The results set forth in Table 2396 are also summarized in FIG. 27.

TABLE 2396 DLBCL/BL FL FH MCL SLL Unclassified Total % Correct % Unclassified % Error DLBCL/BL 249 6 0 0 0 7 262 95% 2% 3% FL 5 154 0 0 0 14 173 89% 8% 3% FH 0 0 17 0 0 0 17 100% 0% 0% MCL 0 0 0 22 0 0 22 100% 0% 0% SLL 0 0 0 0 14 0 14 100% 0% 0%

TABLE 2397 DLBCL/BL FL FH MCL SLL Unclassified Total % Correct % Unclassified % Error ABC 78 0 0 0 0 0 78 100% 0% 0% GCB 77 4 0 0 0 4 85 91% 5% 5% PMBL 33 0 0 0 0 0 33 100% 0% 0% Unclassified 27 1 0 0 0 2 30 90% 7% 3% DLBCL DLBCL (not yet 14 0 0 0 0 1 15 93% 7% 0% subclassed) BL 20 1 0 0 0 0 21 95% 0% 5% FL grade 1 1 78 0 0 0 3 82 95% 4% 1% FL grade 2 2 58 0 0 0 3 63 92% 5% 3% FL grade 3A 2 18 0 0 0 8 28 64% 29% 7% Combined FL 5 154 0 0 0 14 173 89% 8% 3% grades 1, 2, 3A FL grade 3B 2 1 0 0 0 4 7 14% 57% 29% FL unknown grade 3 11 0 0 0 0 14 79% 0% 21% FH 0 0 17 0 0 0 17 100% 0% 0% MCL 0 0 0 22 0 0 22 100% 0% 0% SLL 0 0 0 0 14 0 14 100% 0% 0%

As seen in Table 2396, perfect prediction of SLL, MCL, and FH samples was obtained. The success rate for predicting FL and the aggressive lymphomas (DLBCL/BL) was also very good, with only 3% of the samples being classified incorrectly. As seen in Table 2397, perfect prediction was also obtained for ABC and PMBL samples within the DLBCL samples.

Example 18 Classification of DLBCL/BL Samples into Subtypes Based on Bayesian Analysis of Gene Expression Data from the Lymph Dx Microarray

Samples identified as DLBCL/BL in Example 17 were subdivided into four types: ABC, GCB, PMBL, and BL. These samples were then used to generate six pair-wise models using the same procedure described in Example 17. The results of the leave-one-out predictions using these pair-wise models are set forth in Table 2398, below. These results are also summarized in FIG. 28. The rows in the table correspond to different sample groups, while the columns indicate the prediction results. In this stage, the ability of the prediction method to identify BL was again measured against the diagnoses of hematopathologists. The ability of the prediction method to identify the various DLBCL subtypes, on the other hand, was measured against previous studies in which this distinction between subtypes was based on gene expression data from a Lymphochip microarray (Alizadeh 2000, Rosenwald 2002, Rosenwald 2003a, Wright 2003).

TABLE 2398 ABC GCB PMBL BL Unclassified Total % Correct % Unclassified % Error ABC 76 0 0 0 2 78 97% 3% 0% GCB 1 66 2 4 4 77 86% 9% 5% PMBL 0 2 27 0 4 33 82% 12% 6% Unclassified DLBCL 5 9 1 1 11 27 NA 41% 4% DLBCL (not yet 5 5 0 1 3 14 NA 21% 7% subclassed) BL 0 1 0 18 1 20 90% 5% 5% FL grade 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 FL grade 2 0 1 0 0 1 2 FL grade 3A 0 2 0 0 0 2 Combined FL grades 1, 2, 0 4 0 0 1 5 3A FL grade 3B 0 1 0 0 1 2 FL unknown grade 0 1 0 1 1 3

As seen in Table 2398, only 1 of the 20 BL lymphoma samples was classified incorrectly. The classification of DLBCL into subtypes was also quite effective. All previously identified ABC subtype samples were again assigned to the ABC subtype, while only 5% of the GCB samples and 6% of the PMBL samples were assigned to a different subtype than they were assigned to previously.

The above classification was implemented using S+ software and the S+subtype predictor script contained in the file entitled “Subtype_Predictor.txt,” located in the computer program listing appendix contained on CD number 22 of 22. This S+ script implements the lymphoma prediction algorithm. When this script is pasted into an S+ script window and run in a working directory containing the data set files discussed below, it will produce a text file entitled “PredictionResults.txt,” which indicates the results of the predictive algorithm. The other files in the computer program listing appendix contain the required data sets, in their required format, for carrying out the lymphoma type identification described above. The file entitled “GeneData.txt” contains the gene expression values for each sample analyzed. This file is included in the working directory when the S+ subtype predictor script is run. The file entitled “GeneID.txt” contains information about the genes in the GeneData.txt file, and is also included in the working directory when the S+ subtype predictor script is run. This file indicates the UNIQID for each gene, as well as the extent to which the gene is associated with the lymph node and proliferation signatures (“LN.cor” and “pro.cor,” respectively). The file entitled “SampleID.txt” contains information about the samples included in the “GeneData.txt” file, specifically the original classification of all the samples. This file is also included in the working directory when the S+ subtype predictor script is run. The file entitled “PredictionResults.txt” is an example of the productive output of the prediction algorithm.

After the above model was validated using leave-one-out cross-validation, the model was re-fit using all of the data to generate a final predictor that could be applied to a new set of data. Tables 2399-2414 indicate for each of the pair wise models the list of genes used, the weight given to each of those genes, the signature with which each gene was associated, the mean values and covariance matrices associated with the subtypes being compared, and the q-value cut-points of the pair-wise model.

TABLE 2399 ABC vs. BL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene symbol Standard −18.87 1101149 517226 229437_at BIC Standard −17.4 1121452 227817 205681_at BCL2A1 Standard −16.42 1123163 421342 208991_at STAT3 Standard −16.2 1121629 41691 205965_at BATF Standard −15 1134095 89555 208018_s_at HCK Standard −14.75 1132636 306278 204490_s_at CD44 Standard −14.33 1119939 170087 202820_at AHR Standard −14.25 1100138 278391 228234_at TIRP Standard −14.02 1128626 501452 219424_at EB13 Standard −13.89 1132883 432453 205027_s_at MAP3K8 Standard −13.88 1134991 444105 209474_s_at ENTPD1 Standard −13.37 1109913 355724 239629_at CFLAR Standard −13.25 1120389 75367 203761_at SLA Standard −12.99 1131497 114931 202295_s_at CTSH Standard −12.71 1115071 390476 223218_s_at MAIL Standard −12.46 1136329 132739 211675_s_at HIC Standard −12.41 1128195 115325 218699_at RAB7L1 Standard −12.37 1124381 440808 212288_at FNBP1 Standard −12.30 1100562 26608 228737_at C20orf100 Standard −12.24 1101272 179089 229584_at DKFZp434 Standard −12.18 1128536 21126 219279_at DOCK10 Standard −11.64 1098271 300670 226056_at CDGAP Standard −11.41 1119566 433506 201954_at ARPC1B Standard −11.11 1120651 80205 204269_at PIM2 Standard −10.89 1098952 62264 226841_at KIAA0937 Standard −10.80 1099939 488173 227983_at MGC7036 Standard −10.67 1134270 352119 208284_x_at GGT1 Standard −10.44 1134145 4750 208091_s_at DKFZP564 Standard −10.39 1123437 73090 209636_at NFKB2 Standard −10.17 1119884 418004 202716_at PTPM1 Standard −10.14 1129269 62919 220358_at SNFT Standard −10.13 1126293 504816 215346_at TNFRSF5 Standard −10.12 1112344 163242 242406_at Standard −10.10 1135550 221811 210550_s_at RASGRF1 Standard −10.08 1135165 170359 209827_s_at IL16 Standard −10.05 1120808 127686 204562_at IRF4 Standard −10.01 1122087 72927 206693_at IL7 Standard −9.97 1132004 415117 203217_s_at SIAT9 Standard −9.88 1114824 193370 222762_x_at LIMD1 Standard −9.87 1132034 410455 203271_s_at UNC119 Standard −9.87 1099680 210387 227677_at JAK3 Standard −9.86 1132830 31210 204908_s_at BCL3 Standard −9.79 1099631 367639 227624_at FLJ20032 Standard −9.78 1120267 256278 203508_at TNFRSF1B Standard −9.77 1124187 378738 211986_at MGC5395 Standard −9.73 1108970 140489 238604_at Standard −9.71 1136216 512152 211528_x_at HLA-G Standard −9.71 1120993 327 204912_at IL10RA Standard −9.68 1100847 97411 229070_at C6orf105 Standard −9.64 1123413 418291 209575_at IL10RB Standard −9.62 1115704 350268 224569_s_at IRF2BP2 Standard −9.58 1108237 126232 237753_at Standard −9.55 1121695 511759 206082_at HCP5 Standard −9.48 1101905 170843 230345_at Standard −9.42 1119243 440165 201171_at ATP6V0E Standard −9.39 1140457 210546 221658_s_at IL21R Standard −9.32 1098506 193400 226333_at IL6R Standard −9.31 1139805 414362 220230_s_at CYB5R2 Standard −9.30 1139037 173380 218223_s_at CKIP-1 Standard −9.28 1130533 76507 200706_s_at LITAF Standard −9.15 1098678 386140 226530_at BMF Standard −9.04 1133210 434374 205842_s_at JAK2 Standard 9.05 1116432 409362 229356_x_at KIAA1259 Standard 9.17 1097281 7037 224892_at PLDN Standard 9.17 1140018 438482 220917_s_at PWDMP Standard 9.30 1119997 367811 202951_at STK38 Standard 9.41 1119817 409194 202561_at TNKS Standard 9.55 1139842 133523 220367_s_at SAP130 Standard 9.64 1132122 307734 203434_s_at MME Standard 9.77 1119258 88556 201209_at HDAC1 Standard 9.80 1128248 234149 218802_at FLJ20647 Standard 10.38 1101211 287659 229513_at STRBP Standard 10.52 1123419 170195 209590_at BMP7 Standard 10.71 1133755 404501 207318_s_at CDC2L5 Standard 10.80 1128192 102506 218696_at EIF2AK3 Standard 10.85 1124786 22370 212847_at NEXN Standard 10.92 1130114 445084 221965_at MPHOSPH9 Standard 11.00 1126081 309763 215030_at GRSF1 Standard 11.17 1118736 96731 38340_at HIP1R Standard 11.26 1124613 296720 212599_at AUTS2 Standard 11.43 1125456 300592 213906_at MYBL1 Standard 11.60 1097177 9691 224761_at GNA13 Standard 12.11 1120400 152207 203787_at SSBP2 Standard 12.12 1139266 76640 218723_s_at RGC32 Standard 12.22 1100770 65578 228976_at Standard 12.73 1131246 153752 201853_s_at CDC25B Standard 13.48 1096503 21379 223522_at C9orf45 Standard 14.50 1124920 6150 213039_at ARHGEF1 Standard 15.03 1128360 445043 218988_at SLC35E3 Standard 15.24 1099444 434489 227407_at FLJ90013 Standard 21.03 1134582 78202 208794_s_at SMARCA4 Standard Mean ABC −4179.76 Cut 1 0.20 Mean BL −1894.68 Cut 2 0.80 Covariance ABC 53707.58 Covariance BL 194887.5

TABLE 2400 ABC vs. GCB Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene symbol Standard −15.31 1122645 158341 207641_at TNFRSF13B Standard −14.56 1120651 80205 204269_at PIM2 Standard −14.18 1120808 127686 204562_at IRF4 Standard −13.84 1114824 193370 222762_x_at LIMD1 Standard −13.44 1136687 59943 212345_s_at CREB3L2 Standard −13.12 1139805 414362 220230_s_at CYB5R2 Standard −12.23 1104552 193857 233483_at LOC96597 Standard −12.19 1097236 235860 224837_at FOXP1 Standard −12.06 1121629 41691 205965_at BATF Standard −11.93 1128195 115325 218699_at RAB7L1 Standard −11.72 1111503 502910 241383_at KBRAS2 Standard −11.66 1134991 444105 209474_s_at ENTPD1 Standard −11.27 1098678 386140 226530_at BMF Standard −10.9 1131074 76894 201572_x_at DCTD Standard −10.82 1135165 170359 209827_s_at IL16 Standard −10.7 1132396 118722 203988_s_at FUT8 Standard −10.54 1131541 310230 202369_s_at TRAM2 Standard −10.47 1105759 171262 235056_at ETV6 Standard −10.38 1121564 437783 205865_at ARID3A Standard −10.16 1130472 192374 200599_s_at TRA1 Standard −10.04 1132058 161999 203313_s_at TGIF Standard −10.03 1105684 195155 234973_at SLC38A5 Standard −9.95 1097735 26765 225436_at LOC58489 Standard −9.94 1115071 390476 223218_s_at MAIL Standard −9.85 1101149 517226 229437_at BIC Standard −9.83 1119884 418004 202716_at PTPN1 Standard −9.71 1134095 89555 208018_s_at HCK Standard −9.68 1135550 221811 210550_s_at RASGRF1 Standard −9.61 1098927 356216 226811_at FLJ20202 Standard −9.6 1120389 75367 203761_at SLA Standard −9.58 1133910 167746 207655_s_at BLNK Standard 9.56 1118736 96731 38340_at HIP1R Standard 9.58 1128860 323634 219753_at STAG3 Standard 9.68 1134582 78202 208794_s_at SMARCA4 Standard 9.7 1121853 98243 206310_at SPINK2 Standard 10.14 1119258 88556 201209_at HDAC1 Standard 10.19 1132122 307734 203434_s_at MME Standard 10.23 1120400 152207 203787_at SSBP2 Standard 10.48 1529344 317970 Lymph_Dx_065_at SERPINA11 Standard 10.64 1124613 296720 212599_at AUTS2 Standard 10.72 1132159 147868 203521_s_at ZNF318 Standard 10.98 1097901 266175 225626_at PAG Standard 11.1 1128287 300063 218862_at ASB13 Standard 12.26 1099686 117721 227684_at Standard 12.45 1112674 310320 242794_at MAML3 Standard 13.15 1120370 78877 203723_at ITPKB Standard 14.23 1125456 300592 213906_at MYBL1 Lymph Node 6.8 1097202 386779 224796_at DDEF1 Lymph Node 6.85 1131755 241257 202729_s_at LTBP1 Lymph Node 7.27 1136273 13775 211597_s_at HOP Lymph Node 7.35 1119424 75485 201599_at OAT Lymph Node 7.86 1095985 83883 222450_at TMEPAI Lymph Node 8.02 1124875 18166 212975_at KIAA0870 Lymph Node 8.32 1124655 79299 212658_at LHFPL2 Lymph Node 8.62 1115034 387222 223158_s_at NEK6 Proliferation −9.11 1120583 153768 204133_at RNU3IP2 Proliferation −7.87 1135492 408615 210448_s_at P2RX5 Proliferation −7.68 1127756 313544 217850_at NS Proliferation −7.57 1097195 149931 224785_at MGC29814 Proliferation −7.31 1127813 14317 217962_at NOLA3 Proliferation −7.24 1138944 84753 218051_s_at FLJ12442 Proliferation −6.99 1139226 266514 218633_x_at FLJ11342 Proliferation −6.7 1137486 441069 214442_s_at MIZ1 Proliferation −6.51 1133786 153591 207396_s_at ALG3 Proliferation −6.45 1131150 75514 201695_s_at NP Proliferation −6.45 1119076 268849 200681_at GLO1 Proliferation −6.38 1115679 8345 224523_s_at MGC4308 Proliferation −6.34 1110223 212709 239973_at Proliferation −6.3 1529338 284275 Lymph_Dx_058_s_at PAK2 Proliferation −6.24 1135164 458360 209825_s_at UMPK Proliferation −6.24 1128738 335550 219581_at MGC2776 Proliferation −6.01 1099088 14355 226996_at Proliferation −5.98 1123192 315177 209100_at IFRD2 Proliferation −5.83 1116073 146161 227103_s_at MGC2408 Proliferation 5.79 1097388 278839 225024_at C20orf77 Proliferation 6.13 1124563 249441 212533_at WEE1 Standard Lymph Node Proliferation Mean ABC −2226.57 476.67 −1096.34 Cut 1 0.50 Mean GCB −1352.02 547.18 −1005.72 Cut 2 0.74 Covariance ABC 33472.10 3418.91 4347.99 3418.91 1296.05 846.32 4347.99 846.32 1609.13 Covariance GCB 53751.59 466.34 751.08 466.34 777.74 249.29 751.08 249.29 1708.67

TABLE 2401 ABC vs. PMBL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −14.61 1097236 235860 224837_at FOXP1 Standard −14.47 1104552 193857 233483_at LOC96597 Standard −13.62 1122645 158341 207641_at TNFRSF13B Standard −12.05 1135102 349845 209685_s_at PRKCB1 Standard −11.65 1096499 293867 223514_at CARD11 Standard −11.26 1124770 153261 212827_at IGHM Standard −11.25 1125010 43728 213170_at GPX7 Standard −11.13 1109545 63187 239231_at Standard −10.99 1109220 445977 238880_at GTF3A Standard −10.87 1131074 76894 201572_x_at DCTD Standard −10.68 1134517 75807 208690_s_at PDLIM1 Standard −10.63 1098604 32793 226444_at SLC39A10 Standard −10.56 1131219 109150 201810_s_at SH3BP5 Standard −10.52 1120651 80205 204269_at PIM2 Standard −10.39 1133910 167746 207655_s_at BLNK Standard −10.32 1099396 435949 227346_at ZNFN1A1 Standard −10.25 1529297 132335 Lymph_Dx_015_at Standard −10.17 1107575 424589 237033_at MGC52498 Standard −10.11 1117211 356509 233955_x_at HSPC195 Standard 10.06 1129517 −33 220712_at Standard 10.29 1139950 437385 220731_s_at FLJ10420 Standard 10.35 1097553 197071 225214_at PSMB7 Standard 10.41 1119516 6061 201834_at PRKAB1 Standard 10.47 1122772 66742 207900_at CCL17 Standard 10.55 1132762 80395 204777_s_at MAL Standard 10.77 1099265 375762 227193_at Standard 10.81 1095996 288801 222482_at SSBP3 Standard 11.14 1100770 65578 228976_at Standard 11.19 1133801 181097 207426_s_at TNFSF4 Standard 11.61 1099154 97927 227066_at MOBKL2C Standard 11.63 1120370 78877 203723_at ITPKB Standard 11.8 1112674 310320 242794_at MAML3 Standard 12.57 1105178 283961 234284_at GNG8 Standard 12.63 1124613 296720 212599_at AUTS2 Standard 13.28 1106415 169071 235774_at Standard 13.3 1121762 32970 206181_at SLAMF1 Standard 13.6 1121853 98243 206310_at SPINK2 Lymph Node 10.91 1105838 129837 235142_at ZBTB8 Lymph Node 10.99 1136273 13775 211597_s_at HOP Lymph Node 11.02 1099418 172792 227370_at KIAA1946 Lymph Node 11.46 1124875 18166 212975_at KIAA0870 Lymph Node 11.99 1120299 79334 203574_at NFIL3 Lymph Node 12.49 1135871 104717 211031_s_at CYLN2 Lymph Node 13.33 1121767 458324 206187_at PTGIR Proliferation −13.17 1138944 84753 218051_s_at FLJ12442 Proliferation −11.61 1116122 42768 227408_s_at DKFZp761O0113 Proliferation −11.16 1110223 212709 239973_at Proliferation −9.93 1120717 444159 204394_at SLC43A1 Proliferation −9.54 1110099 116665 239835_at TA-KRP Proliferation −9.49 1130942 445977 201338_x_at GTF3A Proliferation −9.28 1123192 315177 209100_at IFRD2 Proliferation −9.14 1135492 408615 210448_s_at P2RX5 Proliferation −9.03 1120011 3068 202983_at SMARCA3 Proliferation −9.01 1096738 87968 223903_at TLR9 Proliferation −8.91 1108961 292088 238593_at FLJ22531 Standard Lymph Node Proliferation Mean ABC −849.47 531.79 −1027.48 Cut 1 0.20 Mean PMBL 27.99 750.84 −872.43 Cut 2 0.80 Covariance ABC 14028.46 3705.84 3118.60 3705.84 2326.91 1083.37 3118.60 1083.37 1589.42 Covariance PMBL 19425.29 5109.98 2199.28 5109.98 2084.28 620.86 2199.28 620.86 1028.44

TABLE 2402 BL vs. GCB Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −12.78 1131246 153752 201853_s_at CDC25B Standard −11.35 1099444 434489 227407_at FLJ90013 Standard −10.4 1116432 409362 229356_x_at KIAA1259 Standard −10.3 1134582 78202 208794_s_at SMARCA4 Standard −10.01 1133998 76884 207826_s_at ID3 Standard −9.3 1126081 309763 215030_at GRSF1 Standard −9.19 1096503 21379 223522_at C9orf45 Standard −8.95 1529340 −99 Lymph_Dx_061_at Standard −8.88 1138128 390428 216199_s_at MAP3K4 Standard −8.8 1099152 351247 227064_at MGC15396 Standard −8.69 1133757 6113 207320_x_at STAU Standard −8.54 1116593 422889 230329_s_at NUDT6 Standard −8.4 1130926 508741 201310_s_at C5orf13 Standard −8.39 1135685 371282 210776_x_at TCF3 Standard −8.39 1140520 11747 221741_s_at C20orf21 Standard −8.34 1119802 7370 202522_at PITPNB Standard −8.31 1096149 410205 222824_at NUDT5 Standard −8.23 1124786 22370 212847_at NEXN Standard −8.07 1098012 355669 225756_at CSNK1E Standard −7.89 1116317 526415 228661_s_at Standard −7.86 1109195 416155 238853_at Standard −7.71 1134880 168799 209265_s_at METTL3 Standard −7.66 1529298 136707 Lymph_Dx_016_at Standard −7.55 1128660 413071 219471_at C13orf18 Standard −7.55 1138973 11270 218097_s_at C10orf66 Standard −7.46 1127294 421986 217028_at CXCR4 Standard 7.47 1134270 352119 208284_x_at GGT1 Standard 7.48 1120743 79197 204440_at CD83 Standard 7.5 1098179 163725 225956_at LOC153222 Standard 7.55 1121400 223474 205599_at TRAF1 Standard 7.59 1114967 7905 223028_s_at SNX9 Standard 7.6 1122087 72927 206693_at IL7 Standard 7.64 1101905 170843 230345_at Standard 7.77 1120700 410745 204362_at SCAP2 Standard 7.8 1120572 84 204116_at IL2RG Standard 7.84 1098271 300670 226056_at CDGAP Standard 7.9 1115073 131315 223220_s_at BAL Standard 7.9 1133210 434374 205842_s_at JAK2 Standard 8 1129269 62919 220358_at SNFT Standard 8.01 1131940 1103 203085_s_at TGFB1 Standard 8.07 1098506 193400 226333_at IL6R Standard 8.13 1120601 441129 204166_at KIAA0963 Standard 8.21 1102540 434881 231093_at FCRH3 Standard 8.24 1121695 511759 206082_at HCP5 Standard 8.33 1136877 409934 212998_x_at HLA-DQB1 Standard 8.37 1100138 278391 228234_at TIRP Standard 8.46 1126293 504816 215346_at TNFRSF5 Standard 8.46 1127805 380627 217947_at CKLFSF6 Standard 8.59 1136573 914 211991_s_at HLA-DPA1 Standard 8.62 1119111 35052 200804_at TEGT Standard 8.7 1136329 132739 211675_s_at HIC Standard 8.74 1123690 111805 210176_at TLR1 Standard 8.81 1138677 390440 217436_x_at Standard 8.89 1113993 131811 244286_at Standard 8.89 1132651 439767 204529_s_at TOX Standard 8.91 1119566 433506 201954_at ARPC1B Standard 9.01 1128626 501452 219424_at EBI3 Standard 9.17 1101272 179089 229584_at DKFZp434H2111 Standard 9.33 1136777 387679 212671_s_at HLA-DQA1 Standard 9.33 1109756 530304 239453_at Standard 9.4 1136216 512152 211528_x_at HLA-G Standard 9.4 1124381 440808 212288_at FNBP1 Standard 9.46 1099680 210387 227677_at JAK3 Standard 9.49 1109913 355724 239629_at CFLAR Standard 9.55 1132636 306278 204490_s_at CD44 Standard 9.59 1119243 440165 201171_at ATP6V0E Standard 9.72 1101149 517226 229437_at BIC Standard 9.8 1130674 381008 200905_x_at HLA-E Standard 10.34 1119939 170087 202820_at AHR Standard 10.44 1132883 432453 205027_s_at MAP3K8 Standard 10.74 1121452 227817 205681_at BCL2A1 Standard 10.84 1137360 429658 214196_s_at CLN2 Standard 12.08 1132520 283063 204249_s_at LMO2 Standard 12.33 1131497 114931 202295_s_at CTSH Standard 13.58 1123163 421342 208991_at STAT3 Lymph Node −9.1 1138136 433574 216215_s_at RBM9 Lymph Node 8.78 1130121 411958 221978_at HLA-F Lymph Node 9.22 1139830 221851 220330_s_at SAMSN1 Lymph Node 9.23 1131705 386467 202638_s_at ICAM1 Lymph Node 9.62 1130168 75626 222061_at CD58 Lymph Node 9.66 1121844 83077 206295_at IL18 Lymph Node 9.68 1121000 519033 204924_at TLR2 Lymph Node 9.83 1102437 437023 230966_at IL4I1 Lymph Node 10.71 1119475 296323 201739_at SGK Lymph Node 11.09 1131786 375957 202803_s_at ITGB2 Proliferation −11.07 1133141 344524 205677_s_at DLEU1 Proliferation −10.04 1138259 89525 216484_x_at HDGF Proliferation −9.74 1131578 202453 202431_s_at MYC Proliferation −9.45 1137449 223745 214363_s_at MATR3 Proliferation −9.43 1130468 166463 200594_x_at HNRPU Proliferation −9.21 1138157 82563 216251_s_at KIAA0153 Proliferation −9.15 1127756 313544 217850_at NS Proliferation −9 1130433 246112 200058_s_at U5-200KD Proliferation −8.76 1123108 108112 208828_at POLE3 Proliferation −8.75 1128738 335550 219581_at MGC2776 Proliferation −8.74 1122400 439911 207199_at TERT Proliferation −8.66 1097948 69476 225684_at LOC348235 Proliferation −8.6 1119460 76122 201696_at SFRS4 Proliferation −8.6 1136401 27258 211761_s_at SIP Proliferation −8.58 1099088 14355 226996_at Proliferation −8.51 1134653 253536 208901_s_at TOP1 Proliferation −8.49 1140584 294083 221932_s_at C14orf87 Proliferation −8.43 1121309 23642 205449_at HSU79266 Proliferation −8.43 1120385 36708 203755_at BUB1B Proliferation −8.38 1136710 75782 212429_s_at GTF3C2 Proliferation −8.36 1136605 448398 212064_x_at MAZ Proliferation −8.24 1120697 323462 204355_at DHX30 Proliferation −8.19 1127833 382044 218001_at MRPS2 Proliferation −8.11 1096903 437460 224185_at FLJ10385 Proliferation −8.1 1120596 4854 204159_at CDKN2C Proliferation −8.1 1120779 28853 204510_at CDC7 Standard Lymph Node Proliferation Mean BL 1098.69 576.05 −2392.12 Cut 1 0.09 Mean GCB 2187.37 768.53 −2129.35 Cut 2 0.53 Covariance BL 75263.67 12684.43 15734.77 12684.43 2650.81 2358.05 15734.77 2358.05 4653.00 Covariance GCB 50548.22 9301.12 14182.83 9301.12 2602.51 3028.21 14182.83 3028.21 5983.04

TABLE 2403 BL vs. PMBL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −13.54 1099444 434489 227407_at FLJ90013 Standard −13.42 1096503 21379 223522_at C9orf45 Standard −13.36 1130114 445084 221965_at MPHOSPH9 Standard −13.27 1124786 22370 212847_at NEXN Standard −13.27 1134582 78202 208794_s_at SMARCA4 Standard −12.37 1096149 410205 222824_at NUDT5 Standard −11.95 1130855 77515 201189_s_at ITPR3 Standard −11.66 1529298 136707 Lymph_Dx_016_at Standard −11.35 1131246 153752 201853_s_at CDC25B Standard −11.17 1136925 436939 213154_s_at BICD2 Standard −11.08 1124188 282346 211987_at TOP2B Standard −11.06 1133998 76884 207826_s_at ID3 Standard −10.76 1139266 76640 218723_s_at RGC32 Standard −10.74 1134880 168799 209265_s_at METTL3 Standard −10.69 1140520 11747 221741_s_at C20orf21 Standard −10.6 1109545 63187 239231_at Standard −10.55 1106043 266331 235372_at FREB Standard −10.52 1110214 144519 239964_at TCL6 Standard −10.49 1098592 283707 226431_at ALS2CR13 Standard −10.45 1109220 445977 238880_at GTF3A Standard −10.41 1131263 249955 201877_s_at PPP2R5C Standard 10.54 1122772 66742 207900_at CCL17 Standard 10.59 1109913 355724 239629_at CFLAR Standard 10.82 1119884 418004 202716_at PTPN1 Standard 10.83 1135189 137569 209863_s_at TP73L Standard 10.89 1123437 73090 209636_at NFKB2 Standard 11.15 1124381 440808 212288_at FNBP1 Standard 11.26 1108237 126232 237753_at Standard 11.34 1101149 517226 229437_at BIC Standard 11.77 1139774 15827 220140_s_at SNX11 Standard 11.87 1123163 421342 208991_at STAT3 Standard 11.93 1129269 62919 220358_at SNFT Standard 12.03 1132636 306278 204490_s_at CD44 Standard 12.1 1138677 390440 217436_x_at Standard 12.2 1139950 437385 220731_s_at FLJ10420 Standard 12.25 1134270 352119 208284_x_at GGT1 Standard 12.27 1136216 512152 211528_x_at HLA-G Standard 12.79 1121400 223474 205599_at TRAF1 Standard 12.82 1119939 170087 202820_at AHR Standard 13.12 1126293 504816 215346_at TNFRSF5 Standard 13.44 1100138 278391 228234_at TIRP Standard 13.74 1132883 432453 205027_s_at MAP3K8 Standard 13.94 1131497 114931 202295_s_at CTSH Standard 14.15 1121762 32970 206181_at SLAMF1 Standard 14.51 1132520 283063 204249_s_at LMO2 Standard 14.68 1121452 227817 205681_at BCL2A1 Standard 15.24 1105178 283961 234284_at GNG8 Lymph Node 10.95 1121205 2488 205269_at LCP2 Lymph Node 11.22 1140845 21486 AFFX- STAT1 HUMISGF3A/M97935_3_at Lymph Node 11.45 1131068 118400 201564_s_at FSCN1 Lymph Node 11.92 1131705 386467 202638_s_at ICAM1 Lymph Node 12.06 1131038 81328 201502_s_at NFKBIA Lymph Node 12.49 1121444 153563 205668_at LY75 Lymph Node 13.01 1123457 446304 209684_at RIN2 Lymph Node 13.19 1140404 354740 221584_s_at KCNMA1 Lymph Node 13.26 1124875 18166 212975_at KIAA0870 Lymph Node 14.06 1102437 437023 230966_at IL4I1 Lymph Node 14.11 1132766 82359 204781_s_at TNFRSF6 Lymph Node 15.31 1121767 458324 206187_at PTGIR Lymph Node 15.32 1135871 104717 211031_s_at CYLN2 Lymph Node 15.34 1138652 444471 217388_s_at KYNU Lymph Node 16.01 1139830 221851 220330_s_at SAMSN1 Standard Lymph Node Mean BL −66.97 1445.63 Cut 1 0.20 Mean PMBL 1205.38 2041.25 Cut 2 0.80 Covariance BL 35263.67 13424.88 13424.88 7458.56 Covariance PMBL 12064.38 5113.74 5113.74 3216.53

TABLE 2404 FH vs. DLBCL-BL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −12.81 1104910 458262 233969_at IGL@ Standard −11.54 1102898 145519 231496_at FKSG87 Standard −11.46 1117298 449586 234366_x_at Standard −11.46 1132973 169294 205255_x_at TCF7 Standard −11.22 1133099 88646 205554_s_at DNASE1L3 Standard −10.76 1131531 153647 202350_s_at MATN2 Standard −10.59 1124283 406612 212144_at UNC84B Standard −10.35 1099847 36723 227867_at LOC129293 Standard −10.22 1136430 102950 211798_x_at IGLJ3 Standard −10.05 1117394 −13 234792_x_at Standard −9.95 1133047 528338 205434_s_at AAK1 Standard −9.95 1098865 250905 226741_at LOC51234 Standard −9.82 1108515 98132 238071_at LCN6 Standard −9.8 1131407 154248 202125_s_at ALS2CR3 Standard −9.77 1128469 390817 219173_at FLJ22686 Standard −9.7 1123875 428 210607_at FLT3LG Standard −9.69 1131875 169172 202965_s_at CAPN6 Standard −9.69 1135173 3781 209841_s_at LRRN3 Standard −9.48 1099798 411081 227811_at FGD3 Standard −9.41 1119046 349499 200606_at DSP Standard −9.36 1122449 278694 207277_at CD209 Standard −9.34 1114017 133255 244313_at Standard −9.34 1122767 652 207892_at TNFSF5 Standard −9.24 1123369 79025 209481_at SNRK Standard −9.16 1098954 128905 226844_at MOBKL2B Standard −9.14 1135513 421437 210481_s_at CD209L Standard −9.08 1100904 426296 229145_at LOC119504 Standard −8.99 1122738 81743 207840_at CD160 Standard −8.94 1120925 204891 204773_at IL11RA Standard 9.09 1123055 185726 208691_at TFRC Standard 9.62 1134858 405954 209226_s_at TNPO1 Standard 10.19 1123052 180909 208680_at PRDX1 Standard 10.81 1124178 446579 211969_at HSPCA Lymph Node −10.59 1137597 3903 214721_x_at CDC42EP4 Lymph Node −9.69 1119684 439586 202242_at TM4SF2 Lymph Node −9.25 1125593 8910 214180_at MAN1C1 Lymph Node −8.44 1124318 21858 212190_at SERPINE2 Lymph Node −8.09 1119448 212296 201656_at ITGA6 Lymph Node −8.07 1125546 125036 214081_at PLXDC1 Lymph Node −7.7 1097683 132569 225373_at PP2135 Lymph Node −7.56 1101305 112742 229623_at Lymph Node 7.45 1135240 436852 209955_s_at FAP Proliferation 6.97 1135101 20830 209680_s_at KIFC1 Proliferation 7.03 1130426 432607 200039_s_at PSMB2 Proliferation 7.04 1130501 2795 200650_s_at LDHA Proliferation 7.08 1130744 158688 201027_s_at EIF5B Proliferation 7.23 1137506 75258 214501_s_at H2AFY Proliferation 7.32 1131474 95577 202246_s_at CDK4 Proliferation 7.39 1130871 159087 201222_s_at RAD23B Proliferation 7.42 1119375 381072 201489_at PPIF Proliferation 7.47 1136595 404814 212038_s_at VDAC1 Proliferation 7.7 1135858 90093 211015_s_at HSPA4 Proliferation 7.78 1130527 184233 200692_s_at HSPA9B Proliferation 7.78 1130820 151777 201144_s_at EIF2S1 Proliferation 7.83 1115829 433213 225253_s_at METTL2 Proliferation 7.84 1134699 439683 208974_x_at KPNB1 Proliferation 7.87 1120274 31584 203517_at MTX2 Proliferation 7.92 1136786 63788 212694_s_at PCCB Proliferation 7.95 1097172 434886 224753_at CDCA5 Proliferation 8.4 1138537 −12 217140_s_at Proliferation 8.53 1119488 154672 201761_at MTHFD2 Proliferation 8.58 1130799 233952 201114_x_at PSMA7 Proliferation 8.72 1135673 82159 210759_s_at PSMA1 Proliferation 9.4 1114679 16470 222503_s_at FLJ10904 Standard Lymph Node Proliferation Mean FH −2193.59 −588.21 1571.78 Cut 1 0.50 Mean DLBCL-BL −1448.27 −441.91 1735.00 Cut 2 0.92 Covariance FH 6729.73 1223.99 2541.22 1223.99 405.22 293.72 2541.22 293.72 1797.58 Covariance DLBCL-BL 17675.23 3642.41 4158.43 3642.41 1379.81 1066.48 4158.43 1066.48 2858.21

TABLE 2405 FH vs. FL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −11.23 1117298 449586 234366_x_at Standard −10.62 1121953 38365 206478_at KIAA0125 Standard −10.6 1104910 458262 233969_at IGL@ Standard −10.39 1136430 102950 211798_x_at IGLJ3 Standard −9.96 1129281 395486 220377_at C14orf110 Standard −9.73 1118835 102336 47069_at ARHGAP8 Standard −9.21 1127807 7236 217950_at NOSIP Standard −9.05 1128377 371003 219014_at PLAC8 Standard −8.85 1101004 2969 229265_at SKI Standard 9.06 1139411 368238 219073_s_at OSBPL10 Standard 9.07 1120789 154729 204524_at PDPK1 Standard 9.21 1136464 159428 211833_s_at BAX Standard 9.29 1125279 445652 213575_at TRA2A Standard 9.45 1529390 79241 Lymph_Dx_120_at BCL2 Standard 9.52 1132022 173911 203247_s_at ZNF24 Standard 9.57 1139645 134051 219757_s_at C14orf101 Standard 9.64 1137561 67397 214639_s_at HOXA1 Standard 9.66 1114893 314623 222891_s_at BCL11A Standard 10.38 1098095 131059 225852_at ANKRD17 Standard 10.4 1134858 405954 209226_s_at TNPO1 Standard 12.65 1101054 173328 229322_at PPP2R5E Standard 12.79 1124178 446579 211969_at HSPCA Standard 13.34 1135489 288178 210438_x_at SSA2 Standard Mean FH 136.43 Cut 1 0.05 Mean FL 640.38 Cut 2 0.99 Covariance FH 10719.40 Covariance FL 9373.11

TABLE 2406 FH vs. MCL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard 13.05 1100258 88442 228377_at KIAA1384 Standard 13.43 1529382 371468 Lymph_Dx_111_at CCND1 Standard 13.54 1106855 455101 236255_at KIAA1909 Standard 13.73 1529308 193014 Lymph_Dx_027_x_at Standard 14.56 1100873 445884 229103_at Standard 21.12 1132834 432638 204914_s_at SOX11 Lymph Node −8.44 1130378 234434 44783_s_at HEY1 Lymph Node −7.92 1123552 423077 209879_at SELPLG Lymph Node −7.7 1131218 76753 201809_s_at ENG Lymph Node −7.4 1097683 132569 225373_at PP2135 Lymph Node −7.15 1136273 13775 211597_s_at HOP Lymph Node 14.16 1134532 371468 208711_s_at CCND1 Standard Lymph Node Mean FH 451.68 −282.65 Cut 1 0.20 Mean MCFL 863.16 −156.82 Cut 2 0.08 Covariance FH 1617.92 222.89 222.89 271.65 Covariance MCL 3154.38 917.30 917.30 659.94

TABLE 2407 FH vs. SLL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −13.14 1120765 343329 204484_at PIK3C2B Standard −12.9 1097897 266175 225622_at PAG Standard 12.72 1133195 274243 205805_s_at ROR1 Standard 12.74 1140416 58831 221601_s_at TOSO Standard 13.53 1131687 369280 202606_s_at TLK1 Standard 13.57 1107044 163426 236458_at Standard 14.43 1529389 79241 Lymph_Dx_119_at BCL2 Standard 14.51 1129026 135146 220007_at FLJ13984 Standard 14.77 1136987 21695 213370_s_at SFMBT1 Standard 14.79 1137109 469653 213689_x_at RPL5 Standard 15.37 1529308 193014 Lymph_Dx_027_x_at Standard 15.82 1120832 57856 204604_at PFTK1 Standard 17.37 1135550 221811 210550_s_at RASGRF1 Standard 18.98 1122864 434384 208195_at TTN Lymph Node −12.89 1123038 119000 208636_at ACTN1 Lymph Node −12.8 1130378 234434 44783_s_at HEY1 Lymph Node −11.59 1124875 18166 212975_at KIAA0870 Lymph Node −11.47 1103497 50115 232231_at Lymph Node −10.31 1099358 93135 227300_at Lymph Node −10.27 1121129 285401 205159_at CSF2RB Lymph Node −10.23 1100249 388674 228367_at HAK Lymph Node −10.05 1132345 109225 203868_s_at VCAM1 Lymph Node −9.93 1123401 50130 209550_at NDN Lymph Node −9.75 1120500 82568 203979_at CYP27A1 Lymph Node −9.57 1124318 21858 212190_at SERPINE2 Lymph Node −9.48 1120288 17483 203547_at CD4 Lymph Node −9.45 1123372 195825 209487_at RBPMS Lymph Node −9.39 1123376 37682 209496_at RARRES2 Lymph Node −9.29 1123213 12956 209154_at TIP-1 Lymph Node −9.23 1098412 409515 226225_at MCC Lymph Node −9.23 1125593 8910 214180_at MAN1C1 Lymph Node −9.17 1131786 375957 202803_s_at ITGB2 Lymph Node −9.04 1097683 132569 225373_at PP2135 Lymph Node −8.91 1097255 380144 224861_at Lymph Node −8.76 1131068 118400 201564_s_at FSCN1 Lymph Node −8.7 1119074 54457 200675_at CD81 Lymph Node −8.68 1125130 35861 213338_at RIS1 Lymph Node −8.59 1139661 416456 219806_s_at FN5 Standard Lymph Node Mean FH 1144.02 −2223.71 Cut 1 0.20 Mean SLL 1592.27 −1798.11 Cut 2 0.80 Covariance FH 902.56 442.69 442.69 809.90 Covariance SLL 2426.26 2938.58 2938.58 9435.72

TABLE 2408 FL vs. DLBCL-BL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −23.03 1124833 356416 212914_at CBX7 Standard −22.25 1099204 193784 227121_at Standard −22.2 1119766 93231 202423_at MYST3 Standard −22.04 1099798 411081 227811_at FGD3 Standard −22.01 1102898 145519 231496_at FKSG87 Standard −21.79 1131197 269902 201778_s_at KIAA0494 Standard −21.69 1098415 130900 226230_at KIAA1387 Standard −21.57 1120834 57907 204606_at CCL21 Standard −21.39 1130155 436657 222043_at CLU Standard −20.98 1100904 426296 229145_at LOC119504 Standard −20.8 1131531 153647 202350_s_at MATN2 Standard −20.72 1137582 433732 214683_s_at CLK1 Standard −20.66 1119782 155418 202478_at TRB2 Standard −20.59 1122767 652 207892_at TNFSF5 Standard −20.58 1125001 16193 213158_at Standard −20.56 1134921 413513 209341_s_at IKBKB Standard −20.56 1132973 169294 205255_x_at TCF7 Standard −20.53 1136984 498154 213364_s_at SNX1 Standard −20.41 1115888 35096 225629_s_at ZBTB4 Standard −20.37 1120160 436976 203288_at KIAA0355 Standard −20.36 1139054 25726 218263_s_at LOC58486 Standard −20.31 1130030 301872 221834_at LONP Standard −20.08 1133024 436987 205383_s_at ZNF288 Standard −20.05 1124666 526394 212672_at ATM Standard −19.3 1529397 406557 Lymph_Dx_127_s_at CLK4 Standard −19.16 1116056 243678 226913_s_at SOX8 Standard −19.14 1098433 202577 226250_at Standard −19.1 1123635 408614 210073_at SIAT8A Standard −18.95 1138920 24395 218002_s_at CXCL14 Standard −18.84 1133099 88646 205554_s_at DNASE1L3 Standard −18.83 1098495 443668 226318_at TBRG1 Standard −18.64 1100879 119983 229111_at MASP2 Standard −18.59 1120695 385685 204352_at TRAF5 Standard −18.55 1119983 409783 202920_at ANK2 Standard −18.5 1101276 1098 229588_at ERdj5 Standard −18.47 1099140 500350 227052_at Standard −18.46 1529331 374126 Lymph_Dx_051_s_at Standard −18.45 1131752 170133 202724_s_at FOXO1A Standard −18.45 1099265 375762 227193_at Standard −18.32 1098179 163725 225956_at LOC153222 Standard −18.29 1119568 269777 201957_at PPP1R12B Standard −18.19 1099900 444508 227934_at Standard −18.17 1119361 391858 201448_at TIA1 Standard −18.02 1121650 421137 206002_at GPR64 Standard −17.91 1100911 320147 229152_at C4orf7 Standard −17.86 1529285 348929 Lymph_Dx_002_at KIAA1219 Standard −17.47 1529357 444651 Lymph_Dx_081_at Standard −17.42 1131863 2316 202936_s_at SOX9 Standard −17.16 1129943 512828 221626_at ZNF506 Standard −17.12 1121301 449971 205437_at ZNF134 Standard −17.11 1131340 437457 202018_s_at LTF Standard −17.1 1124606 444324 212588_at PTPRC Standard −17.08 1131407 154248 202125_s_at ALS2CR3 Standard −16.97 1118939 198161 60528_at PLA2G4B Standard −16.91 1134738 75842 209033_s_at DYRK1A Standard −16.9 1134083 285091 207996_s_at C18orf1 Standard −16.89 1120925 204891 204773_at IL11RA Standard −16.86 1110070 −101 239803_at Standard −16.83 1100042 351413 228113_at RAB37 Standard −16.82 1120134 75545 203233_at IL4R Standard −16.75 1124283 406612 212144_at UNC84B Standard −16.72 1109603 −100 239292_at Standard −16.71 1120509 155090 204000_at GNB5 Standard −16.65 1133538 1416 206760_s_at FCER2 Standard −16.64 1130735 179526 201009_s_at TXNIP Standard −16.59 1100150 9343 228248_at MGC39830 Standard −16.54 1124237 258855 212080_at MLL Standard −16.51 1124416 283604 212331_at RBL2 Standard −16.48 1133091 73792 205544_s_at CR2 Standard −16.46 1131263 249955 201877_s_at PPP2R5C Standard −16.44 1118347 528404 243366_s_at ITGA4 Standard −16.43 1529343 521948 Lymph_Dx_064_at Standard −16.43 1099549 446665 227533_at Standard 17.05 1529453 372679 Lymph_Dx_085_at FCGR3A Standard 17.41 1097540 388087 225195_at Standard 18.47 1140473 17377 221676_s_at CORO1C Standard 18.55 1121100 301921 205098_at CCR1 Standard 20.07 1124254 301743 212110_at SLC39A14 Standard 20.2 1130771 61153 201068_s_at PSMC2 Standard 21.46 1137583 273415 214687_x_at ALDOA Standard 21.55 1098168 22151 225943_at NLN Standard 24.07 1123055 185726 208691_at TFRC Standard 24.09 1123052 180909 208680_at PRDX1 Lymph Node −20.5 1137597 3903 214721_x_at CDC42EP4 Lymph Node −18.52 1124318 21858 212190_at SERPINE2 Lymph Node −18.5 1136762 380138 212624_s_at CHN1 Lymph Node −18.07 1101305 112742 229623_at Lymph Node −17.75 1100249 388674 228367_at HAK Lymph Node −16.1 1098412 409515 226225_at MCC Lymph Node −15.51 1140464 111676 221667_s_at HSPB8 Lymph Node −15.43 1136832 434959 212842_x_at RANBP2L1 Lymph Node −15.37 1119684 439586 202242_at TM4SF2 Lymph Node −15.02 1097448 250607 225093_at UTRN Lymph Node −14.83 1136844 16007 212875_s_at C21orf25 Lymph Node −14.73 1135056 169946 209604_s_at GATA3 Lymph Node −14.48 1097202 386779 224796_at DDEF1 Lymph Node −14.44 1121278 21355 205399_at DCAMKL1 Lymph Node −14.22 1125009 27621 213169_at Lymph Node −13.97 1100288 26981 228411_at ALS2CR19 Lymph Node −13.51 1132462 14845 204131_s_at FOXO3A Lymph Node −13.37 1135322 450230 210095_s_at IGFBP3 Lymph Node −13.35 1097280 423523 224891_at Lymph Node −12.86 1137097 20107 213656_s_at KNS2 Lymph Node −12.85 1098809 359394 226682_at Lymph Node −12.28 1124875 18166 212975_at KIAA0870 Lymph Node −12.18 1132345 109225 203868_s_at VCAM1 Lymph Node −12 1097561 19221 225224_at DKFZP566G1424 Lymph Node −11.71 1123401 50130 209550_at NDN Lymph Node −11.04 1136996 283749 213397_x_at RNASE4 Lymph Node −10.77 1136788 355455 212698_s_at 36778 Lymph Node −10.71 1098822 443452 226695_at PRRX1 Lymph Node −10.63 1134200 90786 208161_s_at ABCC3 Lymph Node −10.47 1136427 276506 211795_s_at FYB Lymph Node −10.46 1121186 100431 205242_at CXCL13 Lymph Node −10.39 1099332 32433 227272_at Lymph Node −10.39 1098978 124863 226869_at Lymph Node −10.22 1103303 49605 232000_at C9orf52 Lymph Node −10.16 1131325 13313 201990_s_at CREBL2 Lymph Node −10.16 1098174 274401 225949_at LOC340371 Lymph Node −9.93 1124733 66762 212771_at LOC221061 Lymph Node −9.42 1123372 195825 209487_at RBPMS Lymph Node −9.36 1132220 448805 203632_s_at GPRC5B Lymph Node −9.29 1120703 83974 204368_at SLCO2A1 Lymph Node −9.26 1132013 434961 203232_s_at SCA1 Lymph Node −9.25 1097307 379754 224929_at LOC340061 Lymph Node −9.18 1119251 433941 201194_at SEPW1 Lymph Node −9.08 1097609 6093 225283_at ARRDC4 Lymph Node −9.07 1136459 252550 211828_s_at KIAA0551 Lymph Node −8.86 1132775 1027 204803_s_at RRAD Lymph Node −8.78 1098946 135121 226834_at ASAM Lymph Node −8.68 1140589 433488 221942_s_at GUCY1A3 Lymph Node −8.44 1116966 301124 232744_x_at Lymph Node −8.39 1100130 76494 228224_at PRELP Lymph Node −8.36 1110019 −94 239744_at Lymph Node −8.3 1134647 298654 208892_s_at DUSP6 Lymph Node −8.28 1125593 8910 214180_at MAN1C1 Lymph Node 7.97 1134370 1422 208438_s_at FGR Lymph Node 8.05 1123566 155935 209906_at C3AR1 Lymph Node 8.09 1131119 349656 201647_s_at SCARB2 Lymph Node 8.11 1123586 93841 209948_at KCNMB1 Lymph Node 8.13 1128615 104800 219410_at FLJ10134 Lymph Node 8.21 1097297 166254 224917_at VMP1 Lymph Node 8.23 1120299 79334 203574_at NFIL3 Lymph Node 8.37 1128157 23918 218631_at VIP32 Lymph Node 8.4 1130054 82547 221872_at RARRES1 Lymph Node 8.41 1098152 377588 225922_at KIAA1450 Lymph Node 8.53 1101566 98558 229947_at Lymph Node 8.59 1135251 21486 209969_s_at STAT1 Lymph Node 8.84 1099167 381105 227080_at MGC45731 Lymph Node 9.01 1132920 753 205119_s_at FPR1 Lymph Node 9.26 1097253 77873 224859_at B7H3 Lymph Node 9.29 1120500 82568 203979_at CYP27A1 Lymph Node 9.36 1131507 172928 202311_s_at COL1A1 Lymph Node 9.38 1096456 82407 223454_at CXCL16 Lymph Node 9.49 1136172 38084 211470_s_at SULT1C1 Lymph Node 10.03 1138244 418138 216442_x_at FN1 Lymph Node 10.34 1134424 −17 208540_x_at S100A14 Lymph Node 10.48 1136152 458436 211434_s_at CCRL2 Lymph Node 10.51 1118708 7835 37408_at MRC2 Lymph Node 10.6 1136540 179657 211924_s_at PLAUR Lymph Node 10.63 1098278 166017 226066_at MITF Lymph Node 10.76 1119477 163867 201743_at CD14 Lymph Node 10.81 1096429 64896 223405_at NPL Lymph Node 11.58 1123672 67846 210152_at LILRB4 Lymph Node 12 1096364 29444 223276_at NID67 Lymph Node 12.16 1119070 445570 200663_at CD63 Lymph Node 12.3 1133065 77274 205479_s_at PLAU Lymph Node 12.5 1135240 436852 209955_s_at FAP Lymph Node 13.09 1116826 26204 231823_s_at KIAA1295 Lymph Node 13.32 1119068 417004 200660_at S100A11 Lymph Node 13.45 1120266 246381 203507_at CD68 Lymph Node 13.63 1133216 502577 205872_x_at PDE4DIP Lymph Node 13.67 1131815 386678 202856_s_at SLC16A3 Lymph Node 14.38 1132132 279910 203454_s_at ATOX1 Lymph Node 15.25 1134682 411701 208949_s_at LGALS3 Lymph Node 15.46 1119237 389964 201141_at GPNMB Lymph Node 15.89 1137698 442669 215001_s_at GLUL Lymph Node 17.8 1137782 384944 215223_s_at SOD2 Lymph Node 20.11 1130629 135226 200839_s_at CTSB Proliferation 21.02 1119375 381072 201489_at PPIF Proliferation 21.24 1119488 154672 201761_at MTHFD2 Proliferation 21.31 1119467 21635 201714_at TUBG1 Proliferation 21.68 1130820 151777 201144_s_at EIF2S1 Proliferation 21.69 1131474 95577 202246_s_at CDK4 Proliferation 22.2 1125249 244723 213523_at CCNE1 Proliferation 22.97 1130501 2795 200650_s_at LDHA Proliferation 23.12 1136913 99962 213113_s_at SLC43A3 Proliferation 24.05 1130426 432607 200039_s_at PSMB2 Standard Lymph Node Proliferation Mean FL −11121.51 −1603.39 1890.60 Cut 1 0.34 Mean DLBCL-BL −8760.65 −460.71 2101.10 Cut 2 0.94 Covariance FL 246359.77 111505.42 28908.20 111505.42 67036.17 13130.59 28908.20 13130.59 4617.24 Covariance DLBCL-BL 413069.12 178811.32 30151.89 178811.32 106324.53 10877.26 30151.89 10877.26 5180.68

TABLE 2409 FL vs. MCL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −24.56 1123731 17165 210258_at RGS13 Standard −22.56 1133192 24024 205801_s_at RASGRP3 Standard −21.12 1114543 156189 244887_at Standard −18.49 1120090 155024 203140_at BCL6 Standard −18.07 1124646 436432 212646_at RAFTLIN Standard −17.24 1132122 307734 203434_s_at MME Standard −16.63 1105986 49614 235310_at GCET2 Standard −15.09 1120134 75545 203233_at IL4R Standard −14.05 1132651 439767 204529_s_at TOX Standard 13.8 1098277 6786 226065_at PRICKLE1 Standard 13.85 1109560 207428 239246_at FARP1 Standard 13.86 1103504 142517 232239_at Standard 13.88 1132734 126248 204724_s_at COL9A3 Standard 13.91 1115905 301478 225757_s_at CLMN Standard 14.89 1098840 55098 226713_at C3orf6 Standard 14.97 1100873 445884 229103_at Standard 14.99 1139393 170129 219032_x_at OPN3 Standard 16.13 1124864 411317 212960_at KIAA0882 Standard 16.36 1106855 455101 236255_at KIAA1909 Standard 16.43 1120858 410683 204647_at HOMER3 Standard 17.38 1130926 508741 201310_s_at C5orf13 Standard 18.3 1103711 288718 232478_at Standard 18.62 1109505 8162 239186_at MGC39372 Standard 20.31 1132834 432638 204914_s_at SOX11 Standard 22.61 1096070 241565 222640_at DNMT3A Standard 28.66 1529382 371468 Lymph_Dx_111_at CCND1 Lymph Node −10.77 1097202 386779 224796_at DDEF1 Lymph Node −10.22 1119546 433898 201921_at GNG10 Lymph Node −9.89 1132766 82359 204781_s_at TNFRSF6 Lymph Node −9.4 1138867 10706 217892_s_at EPLIN Lymph Node 9.65 1125025 301094 213196_at Lymph Node 10.44 1134797 433394 209118_s_at TUBA3 Lymph Node 22.6 1529456 371468 Lymph_Dx_113_at CCND1 Proliferation −7.36 1097948 69476 225684_at LOC348235 Proliferation −7.31 1130747 234489 201030_x_at LDHB Proliferation −6.95 1130923 459987 201306_s_at ANP32B Proliferation −6.87 1120205 5198 203405_at DSCR2 Proliferation −6.64 1132468 79353 204147_s_at TFDP1 Proliferation −6.1 1119916 177584 202780_at OXCT Proliferation −6.08 1119873 446393 202697_at CPSF5 Proliferation −6.08 1119488 154672 201761_at MTHFD2 Proliferation −6.04 1130658 447492 200886_s_at PGAM1 Proliferation −5.82 1132825 512813 204900_x_at SAP30 Proliferation −5.53 1115607 435733 224428_s_at CDCA7 Proliferation −5.44 1120316 63335 203611_at TERF2 Proliferation −5.34 1114970 279529 223032_x_at PX19 Proliferation −5.32 1140843 169476 AFFX- GAPD HUMGAPDH/M33197_5_at Proliferation −5.28 1131081 180610 201586_s_at SFPQ Proliferation −5.15 1121062 408658 205034_at CCNE2 Proliferation 5.15 1120986 172052 204886_at PLK4 Proliferation 5.16 1097195 149931 224785_at MGC29814 Proliferation 5.2 1120011 3068 202983_at SMARCA3 Proliferation 5.47 1100183 180582 228286_at FLJ40869 Proliferation 5.67 1121012 96055 204947_at E2F1 Proliferation 5.84 1115679 8345 224523_s_at MGC4308 Proliferation 5.88 1135285 449501 210024_s_at UBE2E3 Proliferation 5.92 1120520 35120 204023_at RFC4 Proliferation 6.16 1529361 388681 Lymph_Dx_086_s_at HDAC3 Proliferation 6.45 1096054 21331 222606_at FLJ10036 Proliferation 6.45 1096738 87968 223903_at TLR9 Proliferation 6.51 1136781 120197 212680_x_at PPP1R14B Proliferation 6.63 1119466 179718 201710_at MYBL2 Proliferation 6.65 1136285 182490 211615_s_at LRPPRC Proliferation 6.67 1136853 66170 212922_s_at SMYD2 Proliferation 7.45 1119390 77254 201518_at CBX1 Proliferation 8.87 1116122 42768 227408_s_at DKFZp761O0113 Proliferation 10.12 1119515 3352 201833_at HDAC2 Standard Lymph Node Proliferation Mean FL −18.82 −33.90 23.53 Cut 1 0.14 Mean MCL 1558.10 113.95 165.48 Cut 2 0.58 Covariance FL 21302.14 1098.24 678.04 1098.24 226.29 75.99 678.04 75.99 315.67 Covariance MCL 81008.29 5261.37 9185.20 5261.37 2047.34 875.56 9185.20 875.56 1447.43

TABLE 2410 FL vs. SLL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −21.04 1123731 17165 210258_at RGS13 Standard −20.91 1124646 436432 212646_at RAFTLIN Standard −18.82 1099651 120785 227646_at EBF Standard −18.12 1114543 156189 244887_at Standard −17.85 1105986 49614 235310_at GCET2 Standard −16.73 1100911 320147 229152_at C4orf7 Standard −15.77 1132122 307734 203434_s_at MME Standard −15.12 1120090 155024 203140_at BCL6 Standard −14.89 1097897 266175 225622_at PAG Standard −14.36 1529343 521948 Lymph_Dx_064_at Standard −14.32 1529318 291954 Lymph_Dx_038_at Standard −14.06 1128694 171466 219517_at ELL3 Standard −13.61 1101586 187884 229971_at GPR114 Standard −13.57 1119752 511745 202391_at BASP1 Standard −13.13 1137561 67397 214639_s_at HOXA1 Standard −12.85 1097247 388761 224851_at CDK6 Standard −12.43 1529344 317970 Lymph_Dx_065_at SERPINA11 Standard −12.4 1120765 343329 204484_at PIK3C2B Standard −12.33 1130155 436657 222043_at CLU Standard −12.07 1529292 −92 Lymph_Dx_010_at Standard −12.01 1119939 170087 202820_at AHR Standard −11.82 1119919 199263 202786_at STK39 Standard −11.77 1099686 117721 227684_at Standard −11.63 1119782 155418 202478_at TRB2 Standard 10.97 1529309 512797 Lymph_Dx_028_at HSH2 Standard 10.97 1139393 170129 219032_x_at OPN3 Standard 11.04 1131246 153752 201853_s_at CDC25B Standard 11.07 1140391 44865 221558_s_at LEF1 Standard 11.16 1140416 58831 221601_s_at TOSO Standard 11.35 1127807 7236 217950_at NOSIP Standard 11.67 1529317 −98 Lymph_Dx_037_at Standard 11.81 1117343 306812 234643_x_at BUCS1 Standard 11.82 1102081 506977 230551_at Standard 11.82 1135042 79015 209582_s_at MOX2 Standard 11.96 1132734 126248 204724_s_at COL9A3 Standard 12.09 1137109 469653 213689_x_at RPL5 Standard 12.14 1099939 488173 227983_at MGC7036 Standard 12.19 1129103 99430 220118_at TZFP Standard 12.47 1135592 758 210621_s_at RASA1 Standard 12.78 1108970 140489 238604_at Standard 12.92 1097143 74335 224716_at HSPCB Standard 13.18 1136865 412128 212959_s_at MGC4170 Standard 13.96 1098220 80720 226002_at GAB1 Standard 14.06 1100847 97411 229070_at C6orf105 Standard 14.39 1098865 250905 226741_at LOC51234 Standard 15.57 1136687 59943 212345_s_at CREB3L2 Standard 15.75 1107044 163426 236458_at Standard 16.52 1123622 8578 210051_at EPAC Standard 17.74 1136987 21695 213370_s_at SFMBT1 Standard 19.15 1129026 135146 220007_at FLJ13984 Standard 19.65 1131854 414985 202923_s_at GCLC Lymph Node −14.99 1124875 18166 212975_at KIAA0870 Lymph Node −14.33 1099358 93135 227300_at Lymph Node −13.26 1121129 285401 205159_at CSF2RB Lymph Node −12.61 1119074 54457 200675_at CD81 Lymph Node −12.52 1121029 412999 204971_at CSTA Lymph Node −11.48 1137247 234734 213975_s_at LYZ Lymph Node −10.97 1128781 79741 219648_at FLJ10116 Lymph Node 11.79 1119880 442844 202709_at FMOD Lymph Node 14.4 1134370 1422 208438_s_at FGR Standard Lymph Node Mean FL −663.95 −730.08 Cut 1 0.20 Mean SLL 1332.84 −484.93 Cut 2 0.80 Covariance FL 37097.15 1710.73 1710.73 663.78 Covariance SLL 85989.25 17661.52 17661.52 4555.06

TABLE 2411 GCB vs. PMBL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −8.39 1096440 231320 223423_at GPR160 Standard −8.13 1096108 292871 222731_at ZDHHC2 Standard −8.12 1125231 446375 213489_at MAPRE2 Standard −8.02 1136759 188882 212605_s_at Standard −7.91 1096499 293867 223514_at CARD11 Standard −7.8 1099388 124024 227336_at DTX1 Standard −7.71 1139623 193736 219667_s_at BANK1 Standard −7.68 1098592 283707 226431_at ALS2CR13 Standard −7.67 1107575 424589 237033_at MGC52498 Standard −7.63 1116829 115467 231840_x_at LOC90624 Standard −7.42 1130114 445084 221965_at MPHOSPH9 Standard −7.27 1098909 446408 226789_at Standard 7.34 1138759 396404 217707_x_at SMARCA2 Standard 7.37 1120355 80420 203687_at CX3CL1 Standard 7.4 1134270 352119 208284_x_at GGT1 Standard 7.44 1115441 5470 224156_x_at IL17RB Standard 7.78 1103054 341531 231690_at Standard 7.91 1119765 81234 202421_at IGSF3 Standard 7.92 1119438 118110 201641_at BST2 Standard 8.09 1135645 31439 210715_s_at SPINT2 Standard 8.15 1106015 96885 235343_at FLJ12505 Standard 8.18 1121400 223474 205599_at TRAF1 Standard 8.38 1139950 437385 220731_s_at FLJ10420 Standard 8.73 1122112 1314 206729_at TNFRSF8 Standard 8.77 1122772 66742 207900_at CCL17 Standard 8.84 1132762 80395 204777_s_at MAL Standard 9.64 1139774 15827 220140_s_at SNX11 Standard 10.53 1133801 181097 207426_s_at TNFSF4 Standard 11.52 1106415 169071 235774_at Standard 12.09 1129269 62919 220358_at SNET Standard Mean GCB 292.76 Cut 1 0.16 Mean PMBL 725.28 Cut 2 0.50 Covariance GCB 8538.86 Covariance PMBL 11405.23

TABLE 2412 MCL vs. DLBCL-BL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −26.11 1529382 371468 Lymph_Dx_111_at CCND1 Standard −18.35 1103711 288718 232478_at Standard −17.03 1106855 455101 236255_at KIAA1909 Standard −16.49 1098840 55098 226713_at C3orf6 Standard −15.41 1109505 8162 239186_at MGC39372 Standard −15.11 1098954 128905 226844_at MOBKL2B Standard −14.96 1103504 142517 232239_at Standard −14.74 1096070 241565 222640_at DNMT3A Standard −13.81 1137663 247362 214909_s_at DDAH2 Standard −13.8 1124864 411317 212960_at KIAA0882 Standard −13.62 1140127 125300 221044_s_at TRIM34 Standard −13.62 1119361 391858 201448_at TIA1 Standard −13.37 1127849 76691 218032_at SNN Standard 13.72 1133192 24024 205801_s_at RASGRP3 Standard 13.85 1137583 273415 214687_x_at ALDOA Standard 15.02 1123052 180909 208680_at PRDX1 Standard 16.21 1097611 438993 225285_at BCAT1 Lymph Node −19.18 1529456 371468 Lymph_Dx_113_at CCND1 Lymph Node −10.71 1098978 124863 226869_at Lymph Node −9.17 1097448 250607 225093_at UTRN Lymph Node 8.84 1135240 436852 209955_s_at FAP Lymph Node 9.11 1119475 296323 201739_at SGK Lymph Node 9.22 1119237 389964 201141_at GPNMB Lymph Node 9.46 1130629 135226 200839_s_at CTSB Lymph Node 10.1 1130054 82547 221872_at RARRES1 Standard Lymph Node Mean MCL −1417.55 −25.58 Cut 1 0.50 Mean DLBCL-BL −756.07 202.29 Cut 2 0.88 Covariance MCL 15347.98 3525.48 3525.48 5420.31 Covariance DLBCL-BL 5132.06 1007.64 1007.64 991.38

TABLE 2413 MCL vs. SLL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −20.18 1132834 432638 204914_s_at SOX11 Standard −15.17 1130926 508741 201310_s_at C5orf13 Standard 13.44 1116150 16229 227606_s_at AMSH-LP Standard 14.44 1120134 75545 203233_at IL4R Standard 15.18 1529437 445162 Lymph_Dx_175_at BTLA Standard 15.19 1529317 −98 Lymph_Dx_037_at Standard 16.2 1135042 79015 209582_s_at MOX2 Standard Mean MCL 181.38 Cut 1 0.20 Mean SLL 564.92 Cut 2 0.80 Covariance MCL 1734.42 Covariance SLL 910.75

TABLE 2414 SLL vs. DLBCL-BL Signature Scale UNIQID Unigene ID Build 167 Probe set Gene Symbol Standard −16.014498 1123622 8578 210051_at EPAC Standard −15.26356533 1102081 506977 230551_at Standard −14.82150028 1107044 163426 236458_at Standard −14.17813266 1098865 250905 226741_at LOC51234 Standard −12.92844719 1110740 416810 240538_at Standard −12.86520757 1129026 135146 220007_at FLJ13984 Standard −12.2702748 1135592 758 210621_s_at RASA1 Standard −11.87309449 1117343 306812 234643_x_at BUCS1 Standard −11.81789137 1136987 21695 213370_s_at SFMBT1 Standard −11.78631706 1124830 9059 212911_at KIAA0962 Standard −11.39454435 1133538 1416 206760_s_at FCER2 Standard −11.39050362 1135802 439343 210944_s_at CAPN3 Standard 11.72928644 1120770 300825 204493_at BID Lymph Node −12.21593247 1119880 442844 202709_at FMOD Lymph Node 9.514704847 1135240 436852 209955_s_at FAP Lymph Node 9.739298877 1096429 64896 223405_at NPL Lymph Node 10.05087645 1119475 296323 201739_at SGK Lymph Node 13.11985922 1119237 389964 201141_at GPNMB Proliferation 10.47525875 1128106 14559 218542_at C10orf3 Proliferation 10.53295782 1132825 512813 204900_x_at SAP30 Proliferation 11.93918891 1130501 2795 200650_s_at LDHA Proliferation 11.98738778 1123439 287472 209642_at BUB1 Proliferation 11.99741644 1115607 435733 224428_s_at CDCA7 Standard Lymph Node Proliferation Mean SLL −1383.640809 177.4452398 467.2463569 Cut 1 0.201266305 Mean DLBCL-BL −926.7275468 329.6795845 582.9070266 Cut 2 0.799816116 Covariance SLL 3591.384775 1789.7516 856.0703202 1789.7516 1421.869535 663.4782048 856.0703202 663.4782048 965.6470151 Covariance DLBCL-BL 2922.643347 473.543487 634.3258773 473.543487 931.9845277 −53.85584619 634.3258773 −53.85584619 767.3545404

Example 19 Classification of Lymphoma Samples as BL or DLBCL Based on Bayesian Analysis of Gene Expression Data from the Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 Microarray and the Lymphoma Microarray

Tumor biopsies were obtained from 71 previously untreated, HIV-negative patients diagnosed with sporadic BL (54 cases) or Burkitt-like lymphoma (17 cases) between 1986 and 2004 at seven institutions belonging to the Leukemia Lymphoma Molecular Profiling Project (LLMPP). In addition, 232 samples were obtained from patients diagnosed with DLBCL. 223 of these were part of previously published studies (Rosenwald 2002; Rosenwald 2003b) using the Lymphochip microarray (Alizadeh 1999), while the other nine were “high-grade” DLBCL samples with Ki67 scores (a measure of lymphoma cell proliferation) of nearly 100%. All 303 cases were reviewed by a panel of eight hematopathologists using current WHO criteria for morphology, immunophenotype, and cytogenetics. Specifically, specimens classified as BL were required to have a c-myc translocation, morphology consistent with BL, a Ki67+ proliferative fraction of greater than 90%, and immunohistochemical evidence of CD10 and/or BCL6 expression. Specimens were classified as DLBCL based on morphological criteria and a B cell immunophenotype.

Among the 232 DLBCL cases, the median age at diagnosis was 61.5 years (range, 8.9 to 92 years). Median follow up was 2.5 years (6.8 years for survivors). FISH for c-myc translocation was performed in 87 cases, with six cases testing positive.

Among the 71 BL cases, 48% were pediatric (range, 2.9 to 18 years) and the remainder were adults (range, 18 to 73 years). Median follow-up was 1.6 years (4.9 years for survivors). The regimens used to treat BL were grouped into CHOP-like regimens (CHOP (Fisher 1993), CNOP (Vose 2002)) or intensive regimens (BFM (Pees 1992), CODOX-M IVAC (Magrath 1996), and intensive chemotherapy regimens combined with autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT)). FISH for c-myc translocation was performed in 67 of the 71 cases, including all cases in which BL was not ruled out by immunohistochemistry or morphology, and 52 cases were found to be positive. FISH for BCL2 translocation was performed in 44 of the 71 cases, with seven cases testing positive.

After pathological review and reclassification, the 71 cases originally submitted as BL or Burkitt-like lymphoma were divided into classic BL (25 cases), atypical BL (20 cases), DLBCL (20 cases), and high grade lymphomas that could not be classified by current WHO criteria (six cases). This re-review diagnosis, which is summarized in Table 2419, provided the standard against which gene expression-based predictors were measured.

TABLE 2419 Submitting Pathological Total Gene expression Total diagnosis diagnosis cases diagnosis cases BL or Burkitt-like Classic BL 25 BL 25 lymphoma (71 Atypical BL 20 BL 19 cases) DLBCL 1 DLBCL 20 BL 7 DLBCL 13 High grade 6 DLBCL 5 lymphoma (NOS) BL 1 DLBCL (223 cases) DLBCL 223 ABC 78 GCB 82 PMBL 33 Unclassified 30 DLBCL High grade DLBCL DLBCL 9 ABC 6 (9 cases) GCB 2 BL 1

RNA was extracted from each of the 303 samples as described previously (Alizadeh 2000). Gene expression profiling was performed using the custom oligonucleotide Lymphoma microarray, which contains oligonucleotides corresponding to 2,524 unique genes that are differentially expressed among the various forms of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A subset of the samples were profiled on whole-genome Affymetrix U133 plus 2.0 arrays as well.

To develop a gene expression-based diagnosis of BL, the initial focus was on those cases that were submitted as BL and confirmed as such by pathological review (45 cases). A set of genes were identified that were differentially expressed between these BL cases and each of the DLBCL subgroups (FIG. 35A). Pair-wise Bayesian compound covariate predictors were constructed between BL and ABC, BL and GCB, and BL and PMBL as described previously (Rosenwald 2003a; Rosenwald 2003b; Wright 2003). For each comparison of two lymphoma types, a linear predictor score was calculated by:

${{{LPS}(S)} = {\sum\limits_{j}{t_{j}S_{j}}}},$ where S_(j) is the expression of gene j in a sample S and t_(j) is a scale factor representing the difference in expression of gene j between a first lymphoma type and a second lymphoma type (Radmacher 2002). The scale factor used was the t-statistic generated by a t-test for the difference in expression between the two subtypes being compared. Bayes' rule was then applied to the distribution of the linear predictor scores to estimate the probability that the sample was a member of either group. Each comparison between BL and a DLBCL subtype proceeded in two stages using different sets of genes to create a compound covariate predictor as described above.

Stage one utilized c-myc and its target genes, which were defined using an RNA interference experiment. For the RNA interference experiment, the OCI-Ly10 DLBCL cell line was transfected by electroporation (Amaxa Inc., Gaithersburg, Md.) with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting the c-myc gene (Smart pool; Dharmacon, Lafayette, Colo.). Gene expression in RNAi-transduced OCI-Ly10 cells was compared to that of control-transfected OCI-Ly10 cells using Lymphochip microarrays (Alizadeh 1999). Genes that were at least 40% downregulated at 16 and 18 hours post-RNAi transfection and whose mRNA expression levels were correlated with c-myc mRNA expression (r>0.4 across all lymphoma samples) were defined as c-myc target genes (FIG. 35C). The majority of these genes have been previously described as c-myc target genes (Zeller 2003; Basso 2005). Stage two utilized the 100 genes that exhibited the largest t-statistics differentiating expression in BL from expression in each DLBCL subtype, excluding genes used in stage one.

For a sample to be classified as BL, it had to be predicted to be BL in both stages of the predictor in each of the three pairwise comparisons between BL and the various DLBCL subtypes. Leave-one-out cross-validation was used to evaluate the predictor performance and minimize bias (Hills 1966; Ransohoff 2004; Molinaro 2005).

Among the 25 cases identified as classic BL by pathological review, the gene expression-based predictor classified 100% correctly (FIG. 35B). Atypical BL and classic BL could not be distinguished by gene expression, and therefore the predictor also classified 19 of the 20 atypical BL cases as BL. The cases for which the gene expression-based and pathology-based diagnoses were in agreement were labeled “BL-concordant” cases. The gene expression-based predictor also exhibited 100% accuracy in the diagnosis of ABC, GCB, and PMBL, and additionally classified all but one of the unclassified DLBCLs as DLBCL (FIG. 35C).

In addition to leave-one-out cross-validation, the BL prediction algorithm was tested by dividing the cases into equally sized training and validation sets. The predictor was generated using data from the training set and applied to the validation set cases. This analysis agreed well with leave-one-out cross-validation in 99% of the validation set cases, suggesting that the predictive algorithm is highly effective in distinguishing BL from DLBCL.

Having established the accuracy of the BL predictor, it was next used to classify those 26 cases that were originally submitted as BL or Burkitt-like lymphoma but were reassigned based on pathological review as either DLBCL (n=20) or high grade lymphoma not otherwise specified (NOS) (n=6). The expression-based predictor disagreed with the pathological diagnosis in eight of these cases (31%). In addition, the expression-based predictor classified one of the nine cases submitted and verified as high-grade DLBCL as BL.

Altogether, nine cases that were diagnosed as either DLBCL or high grade lymphoma upon pathological review had gene expression profiles consistent with BL. These cases were labeled “BL-discrepant” cases (marked by an asterisk in FIG. 35D). The BL-discrepant cases could be readily distinguished from all subtypes of DLBCL by gene expression, and had an assigned probability of being BL ranging from 98% to 100% (FIG. 36A). The diagnosis of BL in the BL-discrepant cases was supported by the presence of a c-myc translocation in all cases. Four of the nine BL-discrepant cases expressed BCL2 mRNA and protein at high levels, and three had a t(14:18) translocation involving the BCL2 gene in addition to the t(8;14) translocation. The remaining five BL-discrepant cases were BCL2-negative and completely indistinguishable from BL by gene expression. In summary, although the BL-discrepant cases did not meet the WHO criteria for a diagnosis of BL based on morphology and immunophenotype, they nonetheless harbored a c-myc translocation and were indistinguishable from classic BL by gene expression.

It was next examined whether the expression-based BL predictor could distinguish BL from DLBCL bearing a c-myc translocation. Consistent with previous studies, 7% of the cases submitted as DLBCL (six of the 87 cases tested) were found to have a c-myc translocation. The gene expression profiles of these six cases were distinct from those of BL (FIG. 36B). All six cases had profiles of DLBCL (4 GCB, 2 ABC). Five of these cases had a BL predictor probability of 0%, but one had a BL predictor probability of 66% and may represent a rare biological overlap between BL and DLBCL.

To elucidate biological mechanisms that distinguish BL from DLBCL, hierarchical clustering (Eisen 1998) was used to organize the BL predictor genes according to their expression patterns across all BL and DLBCL samples. Many of the predictor genes segregated into four gene expression signatures reflecting distinctive biological attributes of BL. For example, c-myc and its target genes constituted one gene expression signature, which was more highly expressed in BL than in DLBCL, reflecting the influence of the c-myc translocation in BL (FIG. 37A).

Another cluster of predictor genes that were more highly expressed in BL than DLBCL included genes characteristically expressed in normal GC B cells, such as MME (CD10) and MYBL1. This was unexpected given that GCB, like BL, is derived from the germinal center stage of B cell differentiation (Mann 1976; Alizadeh 2000). To define a comprehensive GC B cell gene expression signature, whole genome microarrays were used to profile gene expression in various normal B cell subsets, including GC B cells, as well as resting and mitogen-stimulated blood B cells. GC B cell signature genes were defined as those that were overexpressed in GC B cells compared with the blood B cell populations, but were not associated with cellular proliferation. These GC B cell signature genes could be divided into three sets: 1) genes that were expressed more highly in BL than GCB (“BL-high”), 2) genes that were expressed more highly expressed in GCB than BL (“BL-low”), and 3) genes that were expressed equivalently in BL and GCB (FIG. 37B). Thus, BL and GCB retain expression of different subsets of GC B cell signature genes.

A third gene expression signature included MHC class I genes that were expressed at lower levels in BL than in DLBCL (FIG. 37C). A fourth signature included known targets of the NF-κB pathway that were expressed at relatively low levels in BL. Expression of a recently defined set of NF-κB target genes (Lam 2005) was examined, and it was found that BL expressed these genes at very low levels compared to each DLBCL subgroup, including GCB (FIG. 37D).

Expression was quantitated for each gene expression signature within the various lymphoma types. For each signature, the average expression of its component genes in a lymphoma biopsy sample was calculated to generate a gene expression signature value for that sample. FIG. 37E displays the signature values for biopsies classified according to their molecular diagnoses. BL-concordant samples had signature values that were readily distinguished from those of samples belonging to the three DLBCL subtypes (P<1×10⁻⁷). Notably, BL-discrepant samples had signature values that were similar to those of BL-concordant cases, again supporting classification as BL. The BL-discrepant cases that were BCL2-negative (n=5) were indistinguishable from the BL-concordant cases by gene expression. In contrast, the BL-discrepant cases that were BCL2-positive (n=4) had lower expression of the BL-high GC B cell gene expression signature. The two BL-concordant cases with a t(14;18) also had low expression of the BL-high gene expression signature. A final important observation was that DLBCL samples with a c-myc translocation were easily distinguishable from BL in the expression of all four gene expression signatures (p<0.01).

To understand the effect of treatment on overall survival in BL, clinical data was analyzed from patients with a molecular diagnosis of BL for whom complete clinical information was available. Overall survival was markedly better for patients who received intensive chemotherapy regimens than for those who received CHOP-like regimens (P=0.02; FIG. 38B). The inferior outcome of adult patients treated with CHOP-like regimens could not be accounted for by differences in age, stage, serum lactate dehydrogenase, performance status, sites of disease, or the presence of t(14;18). Among BL-discrepant cases, CHOP-like therapies were also inferior (P=0.049), although the number of cases is low (n=7; FIG. 38C). BL patients who received CHOP-like regiments had a lower survival compared to patients in each of the three DLBCL subtypes who received similar therapy (FIG. 38D). Overall, these results are consistent with previous reports (Butler 1993; Magrath 1996; Smeland 2004) indicating that BL patients have excellent outcomes when treated with intensive chemotherapy regimens rather than CHOP-like regimens.

Example 20 Identification and Characterization of Cyclin D1-Negative MCL Cases

Lymph node biopsies from six patients with suspected cyclin D1-negative MCL were examined. Two of these cases were identified in a previous study (Rosenwald 2003a), and the other four were newly identified as cyclin D1-negative MCL based on immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR analysis. Each of these six cases exhibited the characteristic morphological characteristics of MCL as determined by a panel of expert hematopathologists.

Gene expression data was obtained using a Lymphochip microarray and Affymetrix U133A/B microarrays, and the gene expression profile of each case was compared to those of ABC (78 cases), GCB (85 cases), PMBL (33 cases), FL (193 cases), MALT (14 cases), splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) (6 cases), and SLL (14 cases) (FIG. 33). The distributions of the Bayesian predictor for each category were used to estimate the probability that any particular sample belonged to that category by applying Bayes' rule (Rosenwald 2003a; Wright 2003). Specifically, a Bayesian predictor was generated for each lymphoma category between that category and cyclin D1-positive MCL samples, based on the 50 genes with the largest t-statistics between them. Only those samples for which all pair-wise predictors agreed that there was a greater than 90% probability that the sample was MCL were classified as cyclin D1-negative MCL. This set of models was applied to the data set in a leave-one-out cross-validated fashion so that the models tested on a given sample were based on a data set that excluded that sample. Samples that exhibited less than a 90% probability of belonging to a category were deemed “unclassified.” All six suspected cyclin D1-negative MCL cases were indicated as MCL in all pair-wise models with at least 99.99% confidence. None of the samples from the other categories were indicated as MCL with greater than 20% confidence in their respective pair-wise comparisons. Thus, the six samples are considered to be bona fide cases of cyclin D1-negative MCL.

Lymph node specimens from the six cyclin D1-negative MCL cases were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin, and 4 μm sections were cut and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) for histologic evaluation. Immunohistochemical stains for cyclin D1 protein were performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. After deparaffinization in xylene and rehydration in graded alcohols, endogenous peroxidase was blocked with hydrogen peroxide. Heat-induced antigen retrieval was performed using citrate buffer, pH 6.0 (Brynes 1997). After rinsing in phosphate-buffered saline, mouse anti-cyclin D1 antibody was applied at a dilution of 1:200 and rabbit monoclonal anti-cyclin antibody (SP4) (Neomarkers, Fremont, Calif.) was applied using the suggested procedure for antigen retrieval with minor modifications (Cheuk 2004) (Table 2416). Antibodies against CD3, CD5, CD20, CD23, CD43, cyclin D2, cyclin D3, cyclin E, retinoblastoma protein (RB), and p27^(kip1) were also employed for immunohistochemical stains (Table 2416).

TABLE 2416 Antibody Clone Source Dilution Retrieval CD3 PS1 Ventana (Tucson, AZ) Neat A (10 mM citrate buffer, pH 6.0, 30 min., water bath (95° C.)) CD5 4C7 Novocastra (Newcastle upon Tyne, 1:20  A UK) CD20 L26 DAKO (Carpinteria, CA) 1:200 A CD23 BU38 The Binding Site (San Diego, CA) 1:5  B (Protease | enzymatic digestion, 8 min.) CD43 L60 Ventana Neat None Cyclin D1 DCS-6 DAKO 1:200 A Cyclin D1 SP4 Neomarkers (Fremont, CA) 1:100 C (1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0, 30 min., water bath (950° C.)) Cyclin D2 Polyclonal Santa Cruz Biotech (Santa Cruz, 1:500 D CA) (1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0, 60 min., water bath (95° C.)) Cyclin D3 DCS-22 Neomarkers 1:100 E (10 mM citrate buffer, pH 6.0, 10 min., pressure cooker (115° C.)) Cyclin E 13A3 Novocastra 1:10  E RB Rb1 DAKO 1:10  A p27^(Kip1) SX53G8 DAKO 1:20  A

Stains were performed on a Ventana ES automated immunostainer (Ventana Biotek, Tucson, Ariz.) with a streptavidin-biotin peroxidase detection system. Positivity for the cyclins, RB, and p27^(kip1) was defined as a strong nuclear staining in more than 50% of the neoplastic cells. Results of histologic and immunologic studies are set forth in Table 2417.

TABLE 2417 Case 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pathologic Growth pattern Nodular Diffuse Nodular Diffuse Nodular Nodular features Cytology Typical Typical Typical Typical Typical Typical CD20 + + + + + + CD3 − − − − − − CD5 + + + + + + CD23 − − − +(w) − − CD43 +(w) + − + + + Cyclin D1 − − − − − − Cyclin D2 + + − − − NA Cyclin D3 − − + + + NA Cyclin E − − − − − NA RB + + + + + NA p27^(Kip1) − − − − − − Genetic t(11;14)(q13;q32) − − − − − − features 11q13 (cyclin D1) Normal* Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal 12p13 (cyclin D2) Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal 6p21 (cyclin D3) Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal 12p13 (p27^(Kip1)) Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal Normal NA: not available; +: positive; +(w): weakly positive; −: negative; *normal indicates no split or amplification

All six cases exhibited a nodular or diffuse growth pattern and consisted of tumor cells with typical mantle cell cytology (FIG. 34A). Immunophenotypic analysis of the tumor cells revealed a B-cell phenotype in all cases. Expression of CD5 antigen was noted in all six cases, while CD43 expression was observed in five of the six cases. The tumor cells in one of the six cases were weakly positive for CD23 antigen.

All six cases were negative for cyclin D1 using the mouse monoclonal antibody DCS-6 (FIG. 34B). All four of the cases that were tested using the rabbit monoclonal antibody SP4 were negative for cyclin D1. Two cases (1 and 2) demonstrated overexpression of cyclin D2 by immunostaining (FIG. 34C), which correlated well with the increased cyclin D2 mRNA levels detected by microarray analysis (FIG. 33, lower panel). Both of these cases were negative for cyclin D3. Three cases (3-5) exhibited overexpression of cyclin D3 by immunostaining (FIG. 34D), which correlated well with the increased cyclin D3 mRNA levels detected by microarray analysis (FIG. 33, lower panel). Case 6 also showed upregulation of cyclin D3 mRNA by microarray analysis (FIG. 33, lower panel), but the tissue block for this case was not available for immunostaining.

All six cases were negative for cyclin E, but showed positive immunostaining for RB. RB expression levels were similar in all of the cases, and were comparable to those seen in cyclin D1-positive MCL. Downregulation of p27^(Kip1) expression was observed in all six cases, with the intensity of nuclear staining much weaker than that seen in reactive T-lymphocytes.

Interphase FISH analysis was performed on cells left over from prior cytogenetic analyses or on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. For detection of the t(11;14)(q13;q32), a commercially-available LSI IGH/CCND1 double-color, double-fusion probe was used (Vysis Inc., Downers Grove, Ill.).

For break-apart FISH assays for the CCND1 (11q13), CCND2 (12p13), and CDKN1B/p27KIP1 (12p13) loci, appropriate BAC clones flanking the respective genes were selected using bioinformatic resources available from the University of California at Santa Cruz. All BAC clones were derived from the RPCI11 library and were obtained from Invitrogen/Research Genetics or the Sanger Center. The following clones were used: CCND1 (pooled RP11-211 G23/RP11-378E8 and pooled RP11-30016/RP11-626H12), CCND2 (RP11-578L13 and RP11-388F6), and CDKN1B/p27KIP1 (RP11-180M15 and RP11-59H1). For each locus, centromeric and telomeric BAC clones were differentially labeled with Spectrum Orange or Spectrum Green (Vysis Inc.) and pooled for break-apart assays. Bacterial culture, BAC DNA isolation and labeling, probe preparation, and FISH on cytogenetic suspensions were performed as previously described (Schlegelberger 1999; Martin-Subero 2002). The CCND3 locus was investigated using a recently-described break-apart assay (Sonoki 2001). Locus-specific interphase FISH was performed on paraffin-embedded tissue sections according to the manufacturer's instructions (Vysis Inc.), or recently-described protocols (Ye 2003) with minor modifications. Whenever possible, at least 100 cells were analyzed.

None of the six cases displayed the IGH/CCND1 fusion. FISH studies with the locus-specific probe were also negative for variant translocations or amplifications involving the CCND1 locus at band 11q13 in all six cases (Table 2417). Conventional cytogenetic analysis was also performed on case 6, and did not reveal a chromosomal alteration affecting band 11q13. FISH analysis using break-apart probes for the CCND1 (12p13), CCND2 (6p21), and CDKN1B/p27KIP1 (12p13) loci did not reveal any evidence of chromosomal translocation or amplification in these cases (Table 2417).

The INK4a/ARF locus encodes the tumor suppressor proteins p16^(INK4a) and p14^(ARF). To detect genomic loss of the INK4a/ARF tumor suppressor locus in the specimens, quantitative real-time PCR assays were performed using genomic DNA as previously described (Rosenwald 2003a). The REL locus on chromosome 2p was chosen as the reference gene, and a cutoff ratio of INK4a/ARF locus copy number relative to REL locus copy number was used to assess tumor DNA for genomic deletions. A tumor DNA sample that yielded an INK4a/ARF to REL ratio below the cutoff ratio was considered to have a genomic deletion of the INK4a/ARF locus. The primers and probe sets for the INK4a/ARF and the REL loci have been described previously (Goff 2000; Labuhn 2001). No INK4A/ARF locus deletions were detected in any of the six cases.

Clinical features of the six patients are summarized in Table 2418. The patients consisted of five males and one female with a median age of 61 years (range, 54-77 years). All patients presented with stage 1V disease. Lymphadenopathy was the most common presentation and extranodal sites were involved by lymphoma in all six patients. Five patients received combination chemotherapy initially, but none of these patients achieved a complete clinical response. One patient (case 1) was not treated initially and developed gastrointestinal involvement 26 months after the initial diagnosis. At the time of last follow-up, one of the patients had died and the other five were alive with disease.

Ninety-three cases (92 cases in the original study plus the false negative case) of cyclin D1-positive MCL (Rosenwald 2003a) were used for comparison. The median follow-up for these patients was 26 months (range, 7-166 months). The clinical features including age and sex distribution, stage, presence of B symptoms, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, extranodal sites, IPI scores, types of treatment, and clinical responses were similar between the cyclin D1-positive and cyclin D1-negative groups. At the time of last follow-up, 65 of 93 patients with cyclin D1-positive MCL had died, with a median overall survival of 31 months. No significant difference in overall survival was identified between the cyclin D1-positive and cyclin D1-negative groups.

TABLE 2418 Case 1 2 3 4 5 6 Age (years)/sex 54/F 61/M 61/M 60/M 54/M 77/M Ann Arbor stage IV IV IV IV IV IV B symptoms − + − + − − Serum LDH levels Normal High Normal High Normal Normal Extranodal sites BM, PB BM BM BM, spleen BM BM, lung, GI IPI score  2 3  2  3  2  3 Initial therapy None R-CHOP CHOP COP CHOP COP Response NA PR PR PR PR PR Progression + − + + + + Follow-up (months) 38 5 88 19 70 30 Status AWD AWD DOD AWD AWD AWD LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; BM, bone marrow; PB, peripheral blood; GI, gastrointestinal tract; R, Rituxan; PR, partial response; AWD, alive with disease; DOD, dead of disease

As stated above, the foregoing is merely intended to illustrate various embodiments of the present invention. The specific modifications discussed above are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various equivalents, changes, and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and it is understood that such equivalent embodiments are to be included herein. All references cited herein are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

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What is claimed is:
 1. A method of identifying a lymphoma sample as Burkitt lymphoma (BL), the method comprising: a) isolating gene expression product from lymphoma sample X, wherein the gene expression product is mRNA and sample X is from a patient; b) creating one or more lymphoma type pairs, wherein each lymphoma type pair represents a combination of a first lymphoma type and a second lymphoma type, and wherein said first lymphoma type is BL; c) for each lymphoma type pair, obtaining gene expression data for a set of genes G in said first lymphoma type and said second lymphoma type, wherein the gene expression data is mRNA expression data; d) calculating a series of scale factors, wherein each scale factor represents a difference in gene expression between said first lymphoma type and said second lymphoma type for one of the genes belonging to said set of genes G; e) dividing said set of genes G into two gene subsets G₁ and G₂, wherein G₁ consists of c-myc and c-myc target genes and G₂ consists of z genes from said set of genes G with the largest scale factors, and wherein G₂ does not include any genes falling into G₁; f) generating a first and second series of linear predictor scores for a set of known samples belonging to said first lymphoma type and a set of known samples belonging to said second lymphoma type, wherein said first series of linear predictor scores are based on expression of said subset of genes G₁ and said second series of linear predictor scores are based on expression of said subset of genes G₂; g) contacting the gene expression product from sample X to a plurality of probes to thereby obtain gene expression data for said subset of genes G₁ and said subset of genes G₂ in sample X; h) generating a first linear predictor score for sample X based on the expression of the genes in said subset of genes G₁ and a second linear predictor score for sample X based on the expression of the genes in said subset of genes G₂; i) calculating a first probability q₁ that sample X belongs to said first lymphoma type by: $q_{1} = \frac{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)}_{1};{\hat{\mu}}_{1}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{1}} \right)}{{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)}_{1};{\hat{\mu}}_{1}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{1}} \right)} + {\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)}_{1};{\hat{\mu}}_{2}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{2}} \right)}}$ wherein LPS(X)₁ is the first linear predictor score for sample X, {circumflex over (μ)}₁, and {circumflex over (σ)}₁ are the mean and variance of the linear predictor scores for said set of known samples belonging to said first lymphoma type, and {circumflex over (μ)}₂ and {circumflex over (σ)}₂ are the mean and variance of the linear predictor scores for said known samples belonging to said second lymphoma type and φ(LPS(X)₁; {circumflex over (μ)}₁,{circumflex over (σ)}₁) is the normal density function evaluated at LPS(X)₁ with mean {circumflex over (μ)}₁ and variance {circumflex over (σ)}₁, and φ(LPS(X)₁; {circumflex over (μ)}₂, {circumflex over (σ)}₂), is the normal density function evaluated at LPS(X)₁ with mean {circumflex over (μ)}₂ and variance {circumflex over (σ)}₂; and j) calculating a second probability q₂ that sample X belongs to said first lymphoma type by: $q_{2} = \frac{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)}_{2};{\hat{\mu}}_{1}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{1}} \right)}{{\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)}_{2};{\hat{\mu}}_{1}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{1}} \right)} + {\phi\left( {{{{LPS}(X)}_{2};{\hat{\mu}}_{2}},{\hat{\sigma}}_{2}} \right)}}$ wherein LPS(X)₂ is the second linear predictor score for sample X, {circumflex over (μ)}₁ and {circumflex over (σ)}₁ are the mean and variance of the linear predictor scores for said set of known samples belonging to said first lymphoma type, and {circumflex over (μ)}₂ and {circumflex over (σ)}₂ are the mean and variance of the linear predictor scores for said known samples belonging to said second lymphoma type and φ(LPS(X)₂; {circumflex over (μ)}₁,{circumflex over (σ)}₁) is the normal density function evaluated at LPS(X)₂ with mean {circumflex over (μ)}₁ and variance {circumflex over (σ)}₁, and φ(LPS(X)₂;{circumflex over (μ)}₂, {circumflex over (σ)}₂) is the normal density function evaluated at LPS(X)₂ with mean {circumflex over (μ)}₂ and variance {circumflex over (σ)}₂; wherein sample X is classified as BL if q1 and q2 are both greater than 90%.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein z is
 100. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said second lymphoma subtype is DLBCL.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said second lymphoma subtype is selected from the group consisting of ABC, GCB, and PMBL.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said scale factors are t-statistics.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the linear predictor scores are calculated by: ${{{LPS}(S)} = {\sum\limits_{j}{t_{j}S_{j}}}},$ wherein S_(j) is the expression of gene j in a sample S and t_(j) is the scale factor representing the difference in expression of gene j between a first lymphoma type and a second lymphoma type. 